


Happier With You

by Stacysmash



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Age Difference, Bottom Kuroo, Daichi is divorced, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Kei is a child, M/M, Mutual Pining, Original Character(s), Romance, Sexual Tension, Side IwaSuga, Single Dad AU, Smut, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Top Daichi, Yachi is a child, angst? I don't know it, both are adults, but it's not bad, grad student Kuroo, side bokuaka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:21:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23171626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stacysmash/pseuds/Stacysmash
Summary: Kuroo loves his job as a live-in tutor, even if the kid can be a little sharp-tongued. The position came with many side-benefits like having a great place to stay and work on his thesis so he can finally graduate. Unfortunately, the biggest perk was also his biggest problem: the kid's hot father, Sawamura Daichi. Between checking him out when he's not looking or battling him with witty banter, Kuroo finds his heart running away with him. Luckily for him, he's not the only one...
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi
Comments: 45
Kudos: 552
Collections: Haikyuu!! NSFW Big Bang 2020!!





	Happier With You

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so excited to finally post this!! I feel like I've been working on this forever and I've had a blast being part of the Haikyuu NSFW Big Bang. Unfortunately, I don't have any artwork to go along with mine, but I hope you still enjoy it!

“How does this sound? I pick up Keiji and we go to dinner.” 

Kuroo raised his head from his notetaking and gaped at Bokuto. It was often that he sat down and started talking as if they were already in the middle of a conversation, but it always took a minute for Kuroo’s mind to catch up. Especially if he was deep in research.

“Okay? That sounds… normal.”

“Right? He won’t be suspecting anything!”

“Shh, we’re in a library, idiot.”

“Oh! Sorry,” he whispered, leaning as far over the table as he could. “So, then we’ll go for a walk and somehow end up at Fukurodani. And I’ll act all surprised and suggest we take a look at the gym. I’m sure he’s going to get all nostalgic and teary-eyed, remembering the moment we met. And just when he’s a blubbering mess, I pull out this!”

Kuroo flinched back as Bokuto lunged his fist at him. “You’re going to punch him?!”

“What? No! I’m going to give him this.”

He opened his fist and set a small square box on Kuroo’s open book. Kuroo gasped, his eyes growing larger the longer he stared down at it. 

“Is this… what I think it is?”

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, I can’t read minds.”

“Bokuto, is this a ring box?”

“Yeah.”

“Is there a ring inside of it?”

Bokuto nodded vigorously. “Yup!”

“An _engagement_ ring?”

“Yeah, if he accepts my proposal.”

Kuroo’s breath hitched and he covered his mouth with his hands. Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked back and forth from the box up to Bokuto.

“I can’t believe it. Bo, you’re going to get married!”

Bokuto hunched his shoulders as a blush rose in his cheeks. “If he says yes.”

“Of course, he is! Look at me, I’m actually crying. I can’t believe it.”

“Don’t cry! Now _I’m_ going to cry.”

Kuroo leaned down to pluck a tissue from his shoulder bag when he noticed that they had attracted a small crowd. A few people had their phones out and were recording with tears in their own eyes. 

“Shit!” Kuroo hissed, nearly falling out of his chair as he scrambled toward them. “No, no, no, this isn’t what you think. Please delete those videos.”

“Aww, but you guys are so sweet!”

“Thank you, but we’re not getting engaged. He was just telling me about a proposal he’s planning to someone else. So, if you don’t want to ruin his romantic moment, please delete those videos and pictures.”

The group groaned but reluctantly stopped filming the moment. Kuroo peered over their shoulders to make sure the footage was deleted before sitting back down at the table. Bokuto had stolen his tissue to dab his eyes and seemed clueless to what had been happening. Kuroo sighed and shoved the ring box back toward him.

“Put this away before it causes more trouble. As for your plan, it’s sweet but you need to make sure you get the school’s permission to go back on campus. It’ll be late, so you also need keys to the gym. Even if you get all that, Akaashi will probably get suspicious if you have all those things and he could potentially ruin the magic of the moment you were hoping to cultivate.”

“Keiji could never ruin anything.”

Kuroo snorted. “Alright, but just in case, maybe think of a plan B. Where did you go on your first date?”

“I don’t know because we ended up going on several dates before we realized they were dates.”

“When did you realize it?”

“When we started making out in the locker room. Oh! Maybe I can do the first place we— no wait, that was also in the gym.”

Kuroo groaned, hanging his head in exasperation. He gasped when he noticed the time and furiously gathered his books into his bag. 

“Sorry, Bo. I gotta go pick up the kid.”

“You’re still doing that?”

“Of course, I’m still doing that! It’s the best gig I’ve ever had. Call me later if you want to chat about this stuff.”

“Can’t, I have a date with Keiji.”

Kuroo fixed the strap of his bag on his shoulder and narrowed his eyes at Bokuto. “Are you going to be okay, hanging out with him and not just blurting out the question?”

“Yeah, I can handle it.”

“Right, good luck with that, buddy.”

“Thanks, you too!”

Kuroo chuckled as he sped out of the library. He knew without a doubt that he would be getting a call from Bokuto later announcing his engagement because he couldn’t wait. He also knew that Akaashi wouldn’t care how Bokuto said the words or what length he went through. He was just as enamored with Bokuto as Bokuto was with him. There was no way he would say no.

Kuroo, on the other hand, was perfectly content with his singlehood. True, he never went on any dates which was a little sad for a handsome, intelligent twenty-six-year-old such as himself. But after a few years of struggling to finish his thesis in menial jobs and trying to pay the rent on a terrible apartment, he finally found the perfect job that would allow him to finish his research and graduate. 

It was actually one of his professors that connected him to the position. A wealthy businessman in the area was a single father and wanted a live-in tutor for his son. All Kuroo had to do was pick him up from school, help him with his studies, and occasionally cook for him if the father was working late one evening. For that, Kuroo had his own desk in the study and a spacious and comfortable bedroom to sleep in without having to pay any rent. The only rules he had was a curfew of one a.m., which was totally reasonable for Kuroo, and he couldn’t bring people over to the house. Piece of cake.

He sighed as he drove into the school parking lot, seeing that he was right on time as a mass of kids exited the building. Pulling up to the curb, he threw it in park and waited patiently for his charge to make his glorious appearance. When he finally spotted him, standing at least a head above all the other ten-year-old kids in his group, a wicked smile spread across Kuroo’s face.

Kei fixed his glasses as he said something to another kid and the whole group laughed at what he said. Kuroo had been astounded by Kei’s intelligence when he first met him, and he picked up on things easily even with the hardest of subjects. But the kid was a bit of a snot and Kuroo loved nothing more than knocking him down a few pegs. 

Kuroo giggled as he opened the car door, standing on the pavement to wave wildly at the group. “Hey, Kei-sweetie! Over here! I missed you so much, get your cutie-patootie over here!”

He grinned wider as Kei’s face paled and all the kids turned around to look at him. Just as quickly as his face drained of color, Kei’s cheeks blossomed with pink and he quickly pushed through his group of friends with a few muttered words. Kuroo could almost hear the screeching violins in his head as an omen of his impending death.

“I told you not to speak to me until I get in the car,” Kei snapped as he stomped around the car and sat in the passenger seat. “Come on, let’s get out of here!”

“What’s wrong, honey? Did you have a bad day at school?”

“You’re the worst part of my day.”

“Aww, don’t say that! Did I ever tell you that you’re the best part of mine?”

“Because you humiliate me in front of my friends?”

“No! That was just an added bonus,” Kuroo muttered under his breath. He could see Kei’s scathing glare boring a hole through his head, but he merely chuckled as he pulled out of the school parking lot. “Seriously though, how was school?”

“I aced my math exam.”

“Nice.”

“I got an almost perfect score on my literature paper.”

“That’s my boy!”

“I’m not your boy.”

Even as he said it, Kuroo could hear the change in his voice. It lacked the bite his earlier retorts did and it warmed Kuroo’s heart. Despite how much they picked on each other, he was incredibly fond of Kei and wanted him to succeed. And no matter how much Kei complained about him, he knew deep down in his heart that he liked Kuroo too. 

“So, anything else to report?” Kuroo frowned at the silence and spared a quick glance next to him. Kei’s head was turned away, but he caught his tight-lipped expression in the reflection of the window. “Kei? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s stupid.”

“Maybe, but you can still talk about it if you want.”

Kei heaved a loud sigh and leaned his head back against the seat. “I hate having to take gym class, there’s no point. It’s gross getting all sweaty and by the end of it, I’m exhausted! Why do they require such a stupid class?”

This time, Kuroo bit his lip to keep from immediately teasing Kei. There were times it was okay to poke, and he knew that wasn’t one of them.

“You know, I didn’t enjoy taking gym much either when I was your age.”

“Really? You?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing, it’s just that you like working out and stuff.”

“Alright, think of it this way. Doesn’t school get frustrating sometimes because you need to learn things you’re not interested in? You would rather focus on learning cool things like the names of planets or dinosaurs.”

“I know all that already.”

“Humor me, will you?”

“Fine, I understand that.”

“With gym, I was frustrated because I didn’t enjoy the sports they made us do. And then, one day, they introduced us to volleyball. There was something about the strategy of it, the different skills involved, and the team camaraderie that I really connected with. As you get older, school allows you to join clubs and I could finally focus only on volleyball. I started working out mainly so I could get better at playing and eventually, it became a habit. 

You may not enjoy gym now… okay, you may _never_ enjoy gym or any sport. But they make you play all these sports to see if any of them connect with you. You never know, one might.”

“I doubt it.”

“Well, knowing how competitive you are, I bet you’d be surprised how much you’d enjoy it.”

Kei seemed to consider that more thoughtfully and didn’t say anything else. Kuroo let the subject drop as well, content with the silence as they neared the house. After two months of living there, it was finally feeling like home for Kuroo, the familiarity of it soothing the tension of the day. 

The situation was only temporary, but Kuroo tried not to think about the day when it was finally time for him to leave. He hated living alone almost as much as he hated living in a dump of an apartment. When he was Kei’s age, his father and grandparents worked all the time, and he spent most of his day at Kenma’s house. It was strange at first, but soon Kenma’s family became just as much of a comfort as his own. 

He smiled as he pulled into the narrow driveway, making sure he left enough room for another vehicle. It was a nice neighborhood as well, wealthier than what Kuroo was used to. The house itself was modest but besides Kuroo, it was just Kei and his father that lived there. It took very little for them all to keep it clean and comfortable. 

They wandered into the house together, Kei still quiet after their earlier conversation. That was fine with Kuroo as they went through their regular routine of slipping out of their shoes and heading straight toward the study. Without a word, they emptied their school bags on the narrow table in the center of the room and Kei pulled out his first assignment.

“Did you want a snack Kei? Or anything to drink before we start?”

“I’m fine. Dad will be home soon, and I’d rather not fill up on snack food.”

Again, Kuroo bit his lip to keep from teasing him. Unlike most boys his age, Kei ate like a bird which was extraordinary considering his size. 

“Alright. I’m going to make some tea. I’ll be right back.”

Kuroo was nearly out the door when he saw Kei glance up from his paper, his expression hesitant. Kuroo grinned and stepped back inside.

“Did you want tea as well?”

“If you don’t mind.”

“Sure, kid.”

Kuroo snickered as Kei’s glare and escaped into the kitchen. He loved living in a real home again, having separate rooms for different purposes. It made him feel like a proper adult and he liked to fantasize that his current living situation wasn’t temporary and that he actually belonged there.

The biggest issue was that he felt like he truly did belong in that household. He enjoyed the time he spent with Kei, picking on him and helping him with his schoolwork. And then there was his father…

Kuroo startled when he heard the front door open and he glanced at his watch. He was a little early but that wasn’t entirely unheard of due to his company’s flexible hours. Kuroo took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and tried to act natural as he finished brewing the tea. 

Down the hall, he could hear soft voices as Kei caught up with his father. It was something that Kuroo always admired, the easy communication between the two. His own father was extremely busy growing up and he’ll never forget how stilted their conversations always were as a result. Kei was extremely fortunate.

“Oh? Did you make enough for me?”

Kuroo startled at the deep voice, _clinking_ the teapot as he set it down on the tray. He cringed and turned slowly to see Sawamura trying hard not to laugh.

“Sorry for scaring you. Did you have a rough day?”

Kuroo smiled back at him, rubbing the back of his neck. “No, my day was great actually. You just startled me.”

Sawamura hummed as he walked further into the kitchen. Kuroo’s eyes fell to his hands as they nimbly unbuttoned his suit jacket, revealing a crisp shirt underneath that hugged his muscles just right. 

“Did anything special happen?”

“The usual. Although, one of my closest friends told me today that he’s going to propose to his boyfriend.”

As Sawamura’s eyes lit up, Kuroo wondered if his own face could grow any hotter. Maybe Sawamura was just a considerate person, taking an interest in the details of his private life.

“That’s wonderful! Are they a good match?”

“Perfect. I can’t imagine them with anyone else, but that may be because they’ve been together ever since I’ve met them.”

“Well, I wish them the best. Not every marriage ends up like mine.”

Kuroo winced at the reminder. He had never met Sawamura’s ex-wife but from what he had gathered, they still had an extremely amicable relationship. Even though she didn’t have the availability to have custody of Kei, she was still active in his life and called the house nearly every day. 

“I think you could have done a lot worse. Besides, anyone would be lucky to be with you, even if it was just for a short time.”

As Sawamura raised his eyebrows, Kuroo realized the gravity of what he had said. He glanced around, but no fortuitous holes in the ground opened to swallow him whole. To his great relief, Sawamura chuckled. 

“You’re very sweet, Kuroo-kun. Thank you.”

“Oh, you know me, always kind.”

“Is the tea ready yet?” Kei asked from the doorway. As he looked at Kuroo in particular, his eyebrows raised, and a little smirk played on his lips. Not wanting to give him a chance to say anything, knowing how sharp Kei’s tongue could be, Kuroo cleared his throat and held up the tray. 

“Ready! I was just going to pour a cup for your dad, then I’ll be right in.”

“Sure,” Kei replied, his tone stressing how unconvinced he was. 

Checking to make sure Sawamura’s back was turned, Kuroo gestured for Kei to get his ass back to the study. The smirk on Kei’s face grew but he obediently left the two on their own. Kuroo sighed and poured a cup of tea, knowing that he was going to pay for his inability to control his own expressions. Usually, he was an expert at that, but Sawamura had a way of smashing down his walls with those damn dimples of his.

“Here you go, Sawamura-san. I better get back in there before Kei studies by himself and makes me superfluous.”

Sawamura chuckled, opening the refrigerator door to start pulling out ingredients. “You’ll never be superfluous, Kuroo-kun. You’ve already become more than just a tutor for Kei. It’s almost like you’re a mentor, giving him good advice for life and his future.” Sawamura paused and turned around. All of Kuroo’s attention fell to Sawamura’s hand as it fingered the top of his tie and slid all the way down to the tip. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I really appreciate you. _We_ appreciate you although you know he’d never say it.”

Kuroo laughed. “That’s for sure but thank you. Kei’s a great kid. Still don’t know where he gets his attitude from though… or his hair… or his height for that matter.”

Sawamura opened up the drawer beside him and pulled out a large cutting knife, keeping steady eye-contact with Kuroo. “What was that about height, Kuroo-kun?”

“Ha ha, nothing! I said… spite!”

“Good, I thought that’s what you said.” 

Sawamura turned around slowly and gathered up the vegetables he needed to cut. Before his face was completely out of Kuroo’s line of sight, he spied a little smirk curling on his lips.

_Maybe he does get a little attitude from daddy,_ Kuroo thought as he bit his lip to keep from laughing. Sawamura had a steady and patient character, but Kuroo quickly discovered that with just a little bit of teasing, his immature side quickly emerged. 

Kuroo would never admit it out loud, but that side of him was one of his favorites. It was in those moments that he felt closest to Sawamura, the gap between them shrinking to almost nothing. As far as living in the Sawamura household went, Kei was his top priority and concern. Behind that, however, he craved to get to know his father in every way that he could. 

—

Daichi idly hummed his favorite song as he spread a T-shirt out onto Kei’s bed, running his hand across it to smooth out the wrinkles. The house was unnervingly quiet, much more than usual. Ever since Kuroo joined their household, it was usually filled with more chatter, more bickering, and, whether Kei admitted it or not, more laughter. 

But Fridays were becoming his least favorite days of the week. For Kuroo’s graduate program, he needed to teach one class a week and he couldn’t make it home until it was almost dinnertime. Then, he usually stuck around campus or went out for drinks with his friends. As he should, considering that Kuroo was still young.

Daichi never minded having the evening for just him and Kei, but even he was out having fun with a friend. And Daichi was… stuck at home, doing the laundry. It wasn’t as if he wanted to be out partying and barhopping like he did in his university days. The very thought made him want to lay down and pull a blanket over his head. But nights like this did have a way of reminding him how lonely he was. It was something he had a habit of burying and pretending that it didn’t exist.

As much as it made his chest ache, he knew that he needed moments like this. Where the house was cold and silent, and he had no choice but to face the truth. If he didn’t, one day Kuroo would move on with his promising career and Kei would graduate, and he’d find himself alone in the house for good.

He shivered at the thought and hummed a little louder to drown it out. It was good to consider the future but there was no point in being consumed by gloomy thoughts. If he was going to have a night to himself, he was going to enjoy it as much as possible. Once he was finished with the laundry.

Daichi flinched when he heard the front door open and shut, Kei’s clean underwear slipping between his fingers. He relaxed when he heard Kuroo’s whistling down the hall, but he frowned as he looked down at his attire. He hadn’t been expecting Kuroo home until much later and unfortunately, he had chosen to finish his chores in his threadbare T-shirt and sweats. As Kuroo’s footsteps drew closer, Daichi shook his head and went back to folding, taking deep breaths to soothe his pounding heart.

“Hey, Sawamura-san! I was wondering where everyone was.”

Daichi turned and smiled at Kuroo, using every ounce of willpower to keep his face calm when he saw Kuroo leaning in the doorway dressed in a suit. Most people naturally looked handsome in a suit, but Kuroo and his long, athletic body took it up several notches. 

“Yeah, I’m just folding some laundry and then I’ll relax for the rest of the evening. Kei went to the movies with Tadashi.”

“He did? You know, I really like that kid.”

“Tadashi? Me too. He’s very good-natured.”

“Definitely. The way he always tails after Kei is so cute, but I really think he has guts.”

“To be friends with Kei?” Daichi chuckled. Kei was very loyal to the people he cared about, but to get to that point usually required a testing period where one was subjected to a lot of sharp words. The ones who stuck it out were certainly strong in Daichi’s opinion. It was another reason he was fond of Kuroo with the way he saw right past Kei’s cold demeanor and accepted him for who he was.

“Yeah, but don’t take that the wrong way. I think how Tadashi doesn’t take any harsh words from Kei to heart and respects his boundaries is amazing. He has a perceptive nature and with that much willpower, I think he’d make a fine prime minister one day.”

Daichi laughed. “I think you might be right. You should tell him that next time he’s over and see how red his face gets.”

Kuroo’s grin widened. “Some say I have a sadistic nature, but I think it’s nothing compared to yours, Sawamura-san.”

“I hardly believe that. I’m not sure I’ve met anyone who teases as much as you do.”

Daichi didn’t know if Kuroo was doing it on purpose, but he chose that moment to slip his fingers into the knot of his tie and pull it loose. His other hand slipped underneath it to unbutton a couple of buttons without breaking his eye contact with Daichi. He took it back; Kuroo _definitely_ knew what he was doing and Daichi glared at him to show him that it wasn’t working.

Unfortunately, Kuroo snickered and Daichi realized that it was absolutely working, and he’d fallen into Kuroo’s trap. Damn that handsome graduate student and his wiley ways. Daichi rolled his eyes and picked another article of clothing out of the laundry basket.

“By the way, what are you doing here so early? Don’t you usually go out with friends on Friday nights?”

“I still am. I just wanted to come back and change into something more _comfortable_.” 

Daichi knew he was talking about jeans or something like that, so why Kuroo had to say that like he was going to slip into some lingerie was beyond him. He also ignored the way his face warmed at the idea and decided to keep his focus on the clothes he was folding.

“Sounds good. Have fun.”

“Thanks! I’m going to an engagement party for my friends, Bokuto and Akaashi.”

“Oh, did he propose already then?” Daichi asked, glancing at Kuroo with renewed interest. 

Kuroo, on the other hand, seemed surprised. “You remember me telling you that?”

“Of course. It was just a couple of days ago.”

“Right. Well, Bokuto had a big elaborate plan to propose to him, two plans actually, in case the first one fell through. As I predicted, he shouted out the question as soon as Akaashi got home that night.” 

Kuroo paused his story when he started to laugh. Daichi beamed at him, enjoying the wholesome and slightly eye-twitching sound. Kei once compared Kuroo’s laugh to a hyena and while he wouldn’t go that far, it was certainly jarring.

“Sorry, I can’t help it. Poor Akaashi walked through the door and Bokuto just ran across the room, fell over the sofa— yes, he forgot the sofa was there— and somersaulted over it. When he finally collapsed on the floor in front of Akaashi, he was holding the ring box out an inch from Akaashi’s foot. And I guess for a few minutes they just stared at each other, Akaashi looking back and forth between him and the box and then finally broke out into tears. He said yes,” he finished with a shrug.

Daichi snorted. “That is an amazing proposal story though. I like it when they’re goofy like that.”

“Me too. Anyway, I better get going. Um, you wouldn’t want to come too, would you?”

Daichi froze in the middle of folding Kei’s pants and glanced at Kuroo. He was bashfully rubbing the back of his neck, but his gaze was unwavering as he waited for Daichi’s answer. Daichi wet his lips as he considered it, ignoring the squirming excitement in his stomach.

“I would, but an engagement party sounds a little personal. I’d hate to intrude.”

“Nah, it’s not that formal. And everybody going is extremely chill. I think you’d enjoy it.”

Daichi smiled but shook his head. “Thanks, but I think I’ll skip tonight.”

“Suit yourself,” Kuroo said with a shrug and turned away, shrugging his suit jacket off his shoulders.

“Um, but next time,” Daichi started, waiting until Kuroo glanced back, “I think I wouldn’t mind going with you. Could be fun.”

Kuroo’s smile was warm and the softness in his eyes melted Daichi down to his core. “I’ll hold you to that, Sawamura-san.”

He gave him one more wink before wandering across the hall to his own room. As soon as he shut the door behind him, Daichi collapsed forward and plunged his face into the bed, his groan muffled by Kei’s bedspread. Knowing that it wouldn’t take Kuroo long to change, however, he forced himself back upright, fixed his hair, took a deep breath and continued folding clothes. As an older man, it was his responsibility to not be the dramatic one in the house, at least not until everyone else was gone. 

As expected, Kuroo popped out of his room after a couple of minutes and naturally, he made an appearance in Kei’s doorway. He kept the same button-down on but traded his slacks for jeans and a leather jacket in lieu of the suit. His chest was puffed out with his expression expectant, and Daichi laughed as he rolled his eyes.

“Yes, you look great. Have a good time.”

“Aw, you didn’t have to say _that_ but thank you very much. Good night, Sawamura-san.”

“Good night, Kuroo-kun.”

It might have been Daichi’s imagination, but he swore Kuroo’s lips pursed as if he was about to blow him a kiss. He wouldn’t put it past Kuroo’s flirtatious nature to do something like that, but he was relieved that he didn’t follow through with it and went off with a little finger wave instead. Daichi laughed softly after he was gone, waiting until he heard the front door shut behind him and his car start up outside. 

Once he was certain Kuroo was gone and not about to pop back into the house, Daichi reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He made a quick check of the time and pulled up his contacts. Selecting the right number, he held the phone up to his ear and wandered out of Kei’s room.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Suga, it’s me.”

“Hey! What’s up? We’re still on for coming over on Sunday, right?”

“Yeah, that’s still on.”

“Daichi…”

“What?”

“That’s my question! Spit it out.”

Daichi groaned as he rubbed the back of his head. “Are you a literal mind reader?”

“You’re just too easy to read.”

“Don’t tell me that.”

“Daichi, what’s going on?”

He winced. “Do you remember when you first met Kuroo, and then you took me aside and teased me about him being the future Sawamura-san?”

Suga laughed. “Of course, I remember. Did you propose to him already?”

“No! Stop that. But it is getting pretty bad.”

“What is?”

Daichi covered his face in shame even though Suga wasn’t there in person. “My stupid crush on him. How do I stop it?”

“Why would you want to? He’s hot, he’s fun, and he’s amazing with Kei.”

“Yes, he’s all those things. Also, he’s young, flirtatious, and surrounded by beautiful college students without any previous marriage or kids.”

“I swear if you say that you don’t have a chance with him, I will punch you through the phone.”

“Please don’t do that.”

“God, now you sound like Asahi. Man up, Daichi. Seduce the pants off that young hottie until he’s begging for mercy. That’s what I’d do.”

Through the receiver, Daichi heard someone in the background clear their throat.

_“I’m sorry, you’d do what?”_

Suga laughed nervously. “No, that’s what I’d do if I was single! Not now, not when I have such a big, handsome husband that keeps me satisfied beyond my wildest fantasies.”

Daichi smiled as he heard Iwaizumi laughing in the background. _“I love getting you all worked up,”_ Iwaizumi said.

Suga clicked his tongue. “Alright, where were we? Oh yes, you seducing Kuroo.”

Daichi sighed, thinking back to the way Kuroo slipped off his tie and the way Daichi’s heart went crazy no matter what outfit he wore. “It’s far more likely that he’ll seduce me.”

“Come on, you have a ton going for you! Just make sure you don’t slack off on your workouts.”

“I won’t,” Daichi fired back, lifting his sweater to inspect his waist. 

“Good. Show off your body as much as you can without appearing desperate. Make sure you tease him because I know he likes that.”

“How would you know?” 

“Because I have eyes and I use them every time I’m over at your house. He tends to giggle a lot when you tease him and his eyes sparkle. I know you won’t believe me when I tell you this, but Kuroo has just as much a crush on you as you do on him. He may even get the guts to ask you out first.”

“Oh, well…”

“What?” Suga asked, his voice already dropping to a low, suspicious tone.

Daichi grimaced and scratched his head. “Um, he ran off to an engagement party tonight and he may have asked if I wanted to go.”

The groan Suga emitted through the phone sounded like he was dying. “I’m assuming since you’re talking to me right now that you said no. What the hell is wrong with you?! If the hot guy you’re crushing on asks you out, you say _yes_!”

“It wasn’t like that! It was more like he felt bad that I was alone at the house and he asked if I wanted to tag along. It would have been awkward. I don’t even know his friends.”

“I don’t even know you. I seriously wish I could punch you through this phone.”

“But I did take a raincheck. I said if he was going out again, I’d be interested.”

Suga hummed at that new bit of information. “Okay, you’re not _hopeless_. But you’re on thin ice. If you don’t ramp up that sexual tension fast, you may lose your chance forever.”

Daichi’s heart sank at the thought. For his entire acquaintance with Kuroo, he had been constantly at war with himself, wondering if it was even appropriate to have a crush on him and flirt with him. To consider what would happen if he didn’t take the chance at all was a harsh slap of reality. How could he bear to lose Kuroo before even giving it a try?

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll step up my game.”

Suga cheered so loudly, he had to hold the phone away from his ear. “Awesome! Let me know how it goes and if you need any help with ideas. I’m a professional when it comes to seduction. Shut up, Hajime!”

“What did he say?” Daichi laughed.

“I’m not telling, but he’s going to be punished for it. After I put Hitoka to bed, of course.”

“Gross. Good night, Suga.”

“Night!” Suga chirped and the line went dead. 

Daichi chuckled as he slipped his phone back in his pocket. As he did, he appraised his clothes again and how he looked in them. 

“Hmm, laze around on the sofa or work out…” he mused and then huffed out a laugh. He jogged down the hall to the small back room that he had transformed into a small home gym. “Lazing around won’t help me seduce a young hottie.”

He felt silly saying it out loud and to himself, but it helped settle his decision once and for all. There was no more debate in his mind whether or not he should flirt with Kuroo, it was more of a matter of _how_ he was going to do it. Naturally, he would back off if Kuroo didn’t seem interested in him. But if he was interested, Daichi didn’t want him to have any doubts about his own intentions. After all, he wasn’t getting any younger and he’d lived long enough to know that a Kuroo Tetsurou didn’t come around every day.

—

Sundays were always quiet in the Sawamura household and with no classes for anyone, Kuroo always took the opportunity to work alone in the study. That morning he had started before either Sawamura or Kei were up, and he was so deep in his work that he hadn’t even noticed when they started to stir. It wasn’t until lunchtime and his stomach was growling that he finally pulled his brain out of his work and realized that the house was full of noisy activity, much more than usual.

Curious, Kuroo saved all his work and stacked his books neatly, laying his glasses on top. He groaned as he stretched toward the ceiling and various points of his spine popped.

“Ugh, getting old,” he mumbled, chuckling at how hard Sawamura would have hit him over the head for that comment. He opened the door to the study and heard the TV on in the living room and Kei speaking to someone over it, his tone gentler than usual. At the same time, he heard quiet conversation coming from the kitchen and light laughter following it. 

Kuroo gasped, recognizing the laugh instantly. Instead of heading in that direction, however, he rushed into the living room and raised his hands in the air. 

“Hitoka-chan!” he cheered.

The little blonde girl on the sofa gasped and immediately ducked behind Kei, hiding from view. As Kuroo’s face fell, Kei snickered.

“You should know better, Kuroo-san. You know she’s shy.”

“I know, but she should know me by now. Right, Hitoka-chan? You remember Uncle Kuroo, don’t you?”

She peered around behind Kei, her brown eyes large and observant. Kuroo gave her a big smile and she flinched before hiding again. 

Kei laughed. “Stop smiling, it’s creeping her out.”

“I’m not creepy.”

“You’re a little creepy.”

“Kei, how can you say that? I thought we were buddies.”

“I never said we were buddies. I tolerate you at the most.”

Kuroo fake sobbed as he lumbered into the room, kneeling down in front of the sofa. He pouted dramatically until Hitoka peeked out again. Most of her face was hidden, but he did hear a soft giggle from behind Kei’s shoulder. He tried hard not to smile and scare her off again, hoping she would come out a little further. 

He adored Hitoka to bits. For a three-year-old, she was sweet and clever although she did tend to get anxious in certain situations. He was relieved that she had two doting and patient fathers to look after her, but he wished she would warm up to him as well.

Kuroo startled when someone knelt next to him and his heart raced when he saw that it was Sawamura. It seemed that no amount of time living in the same house with the man would ever subdue the shock of being so close to such a handsome man. Especially when he smiled at Kuroo like that, his dimples pricking his cheeks. The tight sweater he was wearing at the moment didn’t help matters either.

“Aww, Hitoka, don’t you like Kuroo?” he asked, his deep voice soothing enough to lure Hitoka out from behind Kei. She looked back and forth from Sawamura to Kuroo, pressing her lips tight with the corners curling up in a smile. Slowly, she shrugged her shoulders and Sawamura chuckled. “I know he looks funny—”

“What?!” Kuroo squawked, giving Kei a glare when he snorted.

“— and his smile is a little creepy…”

“Told you.”

“... But Kuroo is a really nice young man. Even Kei likes him.” 

Kuroo couldn’t resist grinning at Kei who huffed and looked away indignantly. As a hand stroked through Kuroo’s hair, however, his breath hitched from the shock. 

“See?” Sawamura said, continuing to run his hands through Kuroo’s hair. “He’s like a big fluffy cat! You like cats, don’t you Hitoka?”

She nodded vigorously at that and shuffled a bit closer. “I love cats!”

“I thought so. Aww, Kuroo, isn’t he so cute?”

Kuroo thought perhaps he had died and gone to heaven. He was sure Sawamura was laying it on thick for Hitoka’s benefit, but his face was on fire from being called cute. It was impossible to resist, and he leaned into the soft touch, beaming as he gazed back up at Sawamura with adoring eyes.

“Meow.”

Sawamura and Hitoka laughed together. She scooted closer to the edge of the cushion and reached out her hand. He eased toward her slowly, not wanting to scare her away and sighed as she patted his head. After a few hair ruffles, she giggled and pulled her hand back, but she didn’t move away.

Kuroo chuckled and glanced back up at Sawamura who still hadn’t stopped petting Kuroo’s head. He seemed distracted and Kuroo realized that he was fascinated by his hair, playing with it between his fingers. If he didn’t stop him soon, Kuroo was certain his heart was going to burst. For an older man, Sawamura was just too cute.

Finally, their eyes met and Sawamura froze, realizing what he had been doing. Kuroo could have teased him about it, the words on the tip of his tongue, but Sawamura may be so flustered that he’d never do it again. If Kuroo had his way, Sawamura petting his head would be a daily ritual. 

He smiled at him instead, hoping that it wasn’t one of his creepy smiles or teasing ones, unless they were the same thing. He’d have to ask Kei later if they were the same. It was a relief when Sawamura’s face softened, returning his smile as his hand continued running through Kuroo’s hair. 

“Uh, Dad?”

“Hmm?”

“It was funny, but now it’s getting weird.”

“Oh! Sorry.” 

Sawamura’s hand disappeared from Kuroo’s hair as he scrambled up to his feet. Kuroo pouted as he watched him leave the room. Once he was gone, Kuroo glared at Kei.

“I was enjoying that!”

Kei smirked. “I noticed.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You two are gross.”

“Huh… so when you say _you two_ , are you insinuating that maybe your dad is into me? Ha ha, no I’m just kidding. Forget I said anything.”

Kei cocked an eyebrow but didn’t say anything as he turned back to the TV. Kuroo twisted his lips, mad at himself for leaving it like that. But Kei knew he really wanted to know; he could tell with the way a smirk crept on his lips.

He was about to swallow his pride and ask again when a small hand stroked through his hair. 

“Kitty!” Hitoka giggled and Kuroo thought he was going to melt right through the floor. 

He shuffled closer to her and laid his head on the cushion next to her, closing his eyes with a hum as she played with his hair. He remained like that for a while, almost falling asleep, until he heard soft footsteps into the room and muffled laughter. Kuroo cracked an eye open to see Sugawara, Hitoka’s father and Sawamura’s best friend taking pictures of them from every angle he could.

“Kuroo, you got her to play with you!”

“Yeah, with Sawamura-san’s help. _Kei_ was no help at all,” he sniffed. 

“Aww, Kei, are you being mean?”

Kei sighed and rolled his eyes. “There’s a difference between being mean and just not caring about Kuroo-san’s personal problems.”

Kuroo gasped dramatically, horrified (although not surprised) by Kei’s cold demeanor. Sugawara, on the other hand, burst out laughing and nearly fell on the floor. 

“Come on, I _know_ you’re not that heartless! After everything Kuroo has done for you?”

“He gets paid for it and lives here without paying rent. He doesn’t need to be spoiled more than he already is.”

“Oof… although he does have a point, Kuroo. Besides,” Sugawara added, his eyes gleaming with mischief, “you get to ogle Daichi as much as you’d like. I’d call that a perk.”

As Sugawara gave him an impish wink, Kuroo’s jaw dropped to the floor. He numbly turned to Kei who shrugged back at him.

“I didn’t tell him. You’re just really obvious.”

“I don’t know what I did to deserve this cruel treatment. Hitoka-chan, you’re the only one who understands me,” he sighed, resting his head next to her.

“Poor Kitty,” she said sweetly, petting his hair. 

Sugawara snorted. “I’m sorry to interrupt your chance to finally be comforted, but Daichi is setting lunch up in the next room. You wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings, would you?”

“Never! Let’s go, Hitoka-chan. Sawamura-san needs us!”

“Let’s go!” she cheered and reached out for him to take her. 

Kuroo squealed with excitement and plucked her off the sofa. As they entered the dining room, Sawamura looked up from setting the table and gasped.

“She let you hold her?”

“Yes! I’m her kitty now, I’ve been adopted.” 

“I’m glad you found someone who wants you,” Kei teased as he slipped by him.

“Kei…” Sawamura warned, but Kuroo waved him off.

“It’s fine. I am so elated right now that there’s nothing Kei can say to ruin my mood.”

“Did you know that you have ink smudged on your face?”

Kuroo’s smile tightened and he glanced at Sawamura for confirmation. When he winced and nodded, Kuroo felt his good mood crumble into dust. Kei and Sugawara sputtered with laughter, but Sawamura smiled sweetly and walked toward him, holding his arms out for Hitoka.

“Here, I can take her. It’s not that bad,” he murmured so only Kuroo could hear him. 

It helped revitalize his mood a little, boosting even more as their arms rubbed together as he took Hitoka from him.

“Thanks. I’m going to go clean my face. Be right back.”

“We’ll wait for you,” Sawamura assured him. 

Kuroo was certain that a little ink on his cheek was the least of his problems with how hot his face was growing. Before it got any worse, Kuroo turned and rushed out of the room, pouting at the snickers fluttering behind him. Sugawara was a nice guy, but he was also a little rotten. And when paired with Kei, they could sometimes bring out the worst in each other.

Sure enough, there was just a small amount of ink on his cheek and it cleaned off relatively quickly. By the time he returned, everyone else was seated and strangely quiet. He would have thought they were up to something, but Kei and Sugawara’s pouts were authentic.

“Everything alright?”

“Daddy’s naughty!” Hitoka explained to him. “He got scolded.”

Nobody could restrain their laughter at that, even Sugawara when he was the guilty party. Kuroo took a seat between him and Kei, glancing across the table at Sawamura to give him a thankful smile. It was apparent to him that his crush was hardly a secret anymore, but he was relieved that if Sawamura was aware of it, he didn’t seem bothered by it at all. Now, if only he could figure out if he was interested...

—

Daichi opened his eyes and looked around his dark room, his brain still too sleepy to understand why he was awake. He blinked a few more times to clear his vision and squinted at the clock, groaning at the early hour. All vestiges of sleep rushed away instantly when he heard the cry down the hall, and he scrambled out of bed. 

The sound was both familiar and surprising, Kei’s cry of fear during a particularly horrific nightmare. He had them often when he was younger, much of it during Daichi’s divorce when Kei was bouncing between him and his ex-wife and his life was in constant chaos. But the more things settled down and Kei grew up, the nightmares had almost ceased. In fact, he hadn’t had a single nightmare since Kuroo had moved in with them, but apparently that didn’t stop them completely.

Daichi quickly opened the Kei’s door and rushed across the room. Kei was tangled up in his sheets and was fighting against them, whimpering. The sight made Daichi’s chest ache and he stroked Kei’s sweaty forehead as soon as he could reach, settling onto the bed next to him.

“Kei? Kei, wake up, honey.”

At the sound of Daichi’s voice and his touch, Kei stopped thrashing and started to wake up, blinking his eyes in confusion.

“Dad?”

“I’m here. You were having a nightmare.”

Kei’s eyebrows were furrowed as he stared up at him. Daichi remained quiet to let him sort out his thoughts as he softly ruffled his hair and attempted to detangle him from his sheets. Soon, Kei seemed to snap out of it and wiggled around to help him out.

“I was in gym class.”

“You were what?”

Kei wrinkled his nose and looked away. “In my dream. I was in gym class and I did the worst, so the coach made me put all the gym mats away. But the whole stack fell on me and even though everyone saw me, they just laughed instead of helping me.”

“That sounds horrible,” Daichi agreed, keeping the smile away from his face. It was no secret that Kei’s least favorite thing about school was his required gym class. “Do you think you’ll be okay now? Want a glass of water or anything?”

Kei pinched his lips tight as he played with the edge of his pajama shirt. “Can I have Steggo?”

Daichi beamed and nodded. He stood up and crossed the room to Kei’s closet, rummaging around until he found Kei’s favorite stuffed animal, a ratty stegosaurus that had a couple of holes in him with tufts of cotton poking out. Kei was long past the age of sleeping with him, but they kept him around for sentimental reasons and also protection on nights such as this.

“Here he is, reporting for duty.”

“Dad,” Kei scolded him, huffing as he snatched Steggo from his arms and held him tight. “Don’t tell a soul about this.”

Daichi zipped his lips shut and threw away the imaginary key. Kei rolled his eyes but smiled as he wiggled back into the bed to get comfortable. With a chuckle, Daichi leaned down and kissed his forehead. 

“Night, Kei.”

Kei mumbled out a response, his face already buried in Steggo’s belly. Daichi took a moment to commit the sight to memory and then crept out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

“Hey,” Kuroo whispered from somewhere behind him. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah, he’s fine. It’s just sometimes he has night— uh…” his words trailed off when he turned completely around. Kuroo was leaning against his doorway wearing only a pair of low-slung lounge pants. His broad chest and long, lean stomach were on full display and while Daichi had an idea that Kuroo was gorgeous from head to toe, it was another thing entirely seeing it right in front of him. 

When Daichi had first turned around, Kuroo’s expression was concerned but the longer Daichi stared at him silently and dumbfounded, the more it melted into amusement.

“Sawamura-san? Are _you_ alright?”

Daichi immediately covered his eyes, pretending that he was rubbing away a headache instead. “Yeah, sorry, I’m just tired. Kei has nightmares occasionally but it’s nothing to be concerned about. Happens to most kids.”

Kuroo hummed. “I had a lot when I was young, honestly, so I feel his pain. Are you _sure_ you’re alright, Sa’amura-san?” he drew out, his voice low and teasing. From between his fingers, Daichi could see Kuroo sauntering toward him. He couldn’t hide behind his hand forever, so he drew it back and kept his eyes on Kuroo’s forehead. If he dared even a glance below his neck, he was certain his face would turn into a neon sign announcing his crush on Kuroo right in front of him. 

“I’m fine, Kuroo. How are you?”

Kuroo snorted and took another step closer, putting him right in front of Daichi. Suddenly, the hall was sweltering, and he could feel sweat forming under his T-shirt. 

“I’m feeling pretty good considering. It’s almost like fate, isn’t it? The two of us meeting here like this?” 

Daichi’s jaw dropped as Kuroo planted his hand on the wall behind him, leaning further until he was hovering right above him. He was torn between the hilarity of Kuroo performing a kabedon on him and the humiliation that it was actually working. Whether Kuroo was just teasing him or he was actually interested in Daichi romantically, he still couldn’t let him control the situation so easily.

“I’d hardly call it fate. Thank you for your concern about Kei, but he’s fine now and I would like to go back to bed. So, if you don’t mind…” he said as he poked a finger against Kuroo’s stomach, trying to prod him away. He regretted it immediately, realizing he was touching Kuroo’s skin and it was hard and warm and sent his mind sailing straight into the gutter. 

Kuroo snickered while he remained exactly where he was. “But we’re having so much fun together, Sa’amura-san! Won’t you be lonely if you go back to your room?”

“I think I’ll survive.”

“But what about me? My room gets so cold at night.” Kuroo stuck out his bottom lip and blinked his eyes at Daichi like a sad stray cat wanting shelter from a storm. 

Daichi laughed and finally had the courage to glance down at Kuroo’s lack of dress. “Poor Kuroo. So cold and you couldn’t even find a shirt?”

“I was lucky that I found pants.”

Daichi _really_ didn’t need to know that but it was too late. His heart was pounding and his excitement over hearing that personal detail about Kuroo was definitely showing up on his face if Kuroo’s smirk was any indication.

“I, uh, am greatly relieved that you were able to find pants, Kuroo-kun.”

Kuroo cocked his head, his eyes glittering under his heavy lids. He leaned in closer and although their bodies weren’t touching, Kuroo’s body heat washed over him to the point that Daichi was beginning to sweat. 

“Are you?”

As alluring as Kuroo’s deep voice was, there was an honest vulnerability to it. It switched Daichi over from being aloof and defensive to wanting to smother Kuroo with assurance that he could have stepped out of his room in less clothing that he had on and Daichi would have been perfectly okay with that. Kuroo could have worn a potato sack and he’d think he was the sexiest person alive.

Kei’s door opened suddenly and like a bucket of ice water, it snapped Kuroo and Daichi out of their bubble of sexual tension. Kuroo stumbled back a few steps and raked a hand through his hair. Daichi’s gaze dropped to his chest, heaving with cleansing breaths and he quickly looked away before his thoughts became even more filthy.

Kei leaned out of his room and surveyed the whole situation with a cool stare. When he saw Kuroo’s nervousness and his state of dress, he cocked an eyebrow at Daichi. It was one of those moments where Daichi felt that their roles were switched, and _he_ was the child caught doing something naughty.

“Dad, I’m trying to sleep.”

“Yeah, sorry. We’ll keep it down.”

“These walls are paper thin, you know,” Kei reminded him and slammed the door shut.

Kuroo snorted and stifled his laughter. “Are you sure he’s not some middle-aged man trapped in a ten-year-old’s body?”

_“I can hear you, Kuroo-san!”_ Kei’s voice shouted from within his room.

Daichi laughed. “I’ve often wondered that myself. We should probably…”

“Yeah,” Kuroo agreed, pointing to his own room down the hall. As he turned to follow that direction, however, he paused. “Are you sure you don’t need tucked in, Sawamura-san? I’m _really_ good at it.”

“Oh? A lot of experience have you?” he responded dryly. It was a given that Kuroo would be popular, but he didn’t exactly like to think about it.

Kuroo laughed softly, seeming a little flustered. “Uh, not _that_ much experience. Let’s just say I’m a natural.”

Daichi’s heart pounded, thinking that perhaps it was time that he gave in. Kuroo was offering. In fact, he was consistently offering to the point where it was becoming less likely that he was just teasing Daichi. His face was growing warmer the longer he thought about it, and he was certain it showed on his face as Kuroo began to look more hopeful.

“I have to admit, it’s tempting. It’s been a while since I’ve been tucked in.” His stomach gripped as Kuroo perked up and started to turn around.

_“Ugh, I can still hear you guys. Go to sleep!”_

They both sighed in unison and Daichi gave Kuroo an apologetic smile. “Perhaps another night,” he whispered.

“I’d like that,” Kuroo whispered back with a wink and slowly sauntered back to his room. 

Daichi couldn’t resist watching him, the dim light from the hallway night light casting a glow over Kuroo’s long back and the curve of his muscles. Kuroo definitely knew he was watching as he swayed his hips with sensual purpose. He was a brat and Daichi loved it. If only Daichi had the guts to pull him into his own room instead of missing his chance again. With the heat churning in his groin, he was in for a long night lying awake in bed with only his hand to provide comfort.

—-

It was late on a Friday afternoon and Kuroo was pacing the classroom just to keep from nodding off. His hardest days of teaching were also the easiest; supervising exams required almost nothing from him except to make sure no one was cheating. But with nothing to occupy him, the seconds ticked by like hours and if he wasn’t careful, he was going to fall asleep standing up. 

Finally, the first student to finish their exam stood up and took it to the front. He wasn’t surprised to see it was his top student, a punctual girl who was able to maintain top marks without trying to kiss his ass, something he appreciated. His favorite students were always the ones trying their hardest without taking any shortcuts.

She placed the exam on his desk and looked at him expectantly. He smiled back at her and nodded. 

“See you next Friday, Akane-chan. Everyone else, you have half an hour left.”

There were a series of heavy sighs and groans, followed by the furious scribbling of pencils against paper. Kuroo smirked and sauntered toward the back of the classroom, sparing a longing glance out the windows at the lovely day outside. He nearly lost himself in the bits of puffy clouds crawling across the bright blue sky when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Kuroo shuffled behind the last desks and slipped his phone out to check the message. His heart skipped when he saw who it was from and promptly opened it up.

**Sawamura:** Hi Kuroo, I hope you’re having a good day. Sorry to disturb your class but I wanted to let you know that you’re off the hook for any of your Kei responsibilities today

**Kuroo:** That’s fine, is everything okay?

**Sawamura:** Everything’s fine! Something’s come up all of a sudden but it’s nothing bad. I’ll see you later tonight :)

Kuroo pocketed his phone and covered his smile. He had no idea what was going on, but if Sawamura said it was fine then he believed him. At least now he had something more pleasant to daydream about as time crawled toward the end of class. 

It wasn’t often that Sawamura texted Kuroo and when he did, it was usually relaying information about Kei. There were many times Kuroo thought about texting him, disguising it as a question or information but really just trying to start a conversation. It should be easy; there had been a definite shift between them since that night in the hallway. There was no mistaking how flustered Sawamura was over his half-naked body and if _that_ wasn’t a hint that he was attracted to Kuroo, then the sexual tension crackling between them ever since was like a billboard stating it as a blatant fact.

Kuroo wanted to push past the barrier between them and show Sawamura how he felt, but the last thing he wanted to do was scare him off. He wasn’t sure how often he dated since his divorce, but he knew he hadn’t been on any since Kuroo moved in. And it certainly wasn’t because Sawamura was undesirable. He noticed the looks Sawamura received anywhere they went, whether it was a school event for Kei or just grocery shopping. 

He startled when the last of his students stood up and delivered his exam to Kuroo’s desk. Glancing at his watch, there were still ten minutes left of class time but with no students left, there was no reason for him to stick around. He lazily followed his final student to the front and wished him a good weekend as he gathered up the tests into a neat pile. Gently, he slipped them into his bag for grading, shut off all the lights, and locked the door behind him. 

He checked his watch again, unsure of what to do with himself. Normally he’d be rushing out to the parking lot to go pick up Kei. Now that he didn’t have to, he had plenty of time to do whatever he wanted. Naturally, he wandered to his car to go home anyway; there wasn’t anywhere else he’d rather be.

While driving, however, his mind began drifting back to Sawamura’s text. _Something’s come up_ , he said and although he assured Kuroo it wasn’t bad, it was a little ominous. If Kei was being picked up by Tadashi’s parents, he would have just said so. The mysterious element to it all squirmed in Kuroo’s stomach and he hoped it wouldn't be long before he had answers.

If Sawamura hadn’t warned him before, the strange car in the driveway would have been a huge hint that something was going on, especially since Sawamura’s car _wasn’t_ there. As Kuroo slipped out of his own car, he whistled as he checked out the immaculate sedan next to his that must have cost a fortune. He glanced from it to the house, wondering if he shouldn’t be intruding on whatever was going on. Of course, if he wasn’t welcome, Sawamura would have said so.

As he cracked the front door open and glanced inside, nothing out of the ordinary jumped out at him, so he stepped inside and shut the door behind him. He shuffled out of his shoes and glanced up the stairs when he heard Kei running through the hallway. It wasn’t like him to hurry in any circumstance, but he didn’t seem to be upset about anything, so Kuroo shrugged and leaned down to set his shoes in the cubby next to the door. 

He froze, coming face-to-face with a pair of black stilettos. They were perfectly clean as if they’d just been taken home from the store and they seemed to cost as much as a few of Kuroo’s textbooks. Unless Sawamura was trying out a new kink, which he would never complain about, there was most likely a woman in the house. Strange since he’d never seen a woman there the entire time he’d been living there. 

The thought made him even more nervous than before. Not that women, in general, made him nervous, but his mind was going crazy coming up with reasons why she would be there. The most heartbreaking reason of all was that Sawamura finally had a date with a high-class woman and he wasn’t interested in him at all. 

Before he got too carried away, Kuroo took a deep breath and ventured further into the house. It didn’t take him long to find her as he passed by the living room, seeing her perched on the sofa as she typed on her phone. Although the shoes had given him a slight clue to what kind of woman she was, he found himself unprepared for the real thing.

She had short blonde hair that was swept stylishly to the side. Even though she was sitting, he could tell she was tall, possibly even as tall as he was. Every bit of her was stunning, from her narrow face to her expensive dress that flattered her body perfectly. If Kuroo had to guess by her demeanor and attire, he would guess she was a political figure or potentially a lawyer. 

At last, he shook off his initial shock and cleared his throat as he stepped into the doorway. She glanced up and to his surprise, she smiled warmly at him.

“You must be Kuroo-kun!”

“Yes, I am. I’m afraid I can’t guess as accurately as you have,” he said, smiling apologetically. 

She hummed, cocking an eyebrow. “Really? You can’t guess who I am?”

_Oh, she’s a tease._

Kuroo scratched his head. “Are you a colleague of Sawamura-san’s?”

“Nope.”

He gulped. “Are you dating him?”

She burst out laughing and shook her head. “ _No_. Been there, done that.”

“Ah, an ex… Ex! Are you his ex-wife?”

“You got it!” she cheered and gave him a wink. “I’m Sawamura Mei, but you can just call me Mei.” She stood from the sofa and sauntered toward him, giving him a thorough once over with her light brown eyes. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you Kuroo-kun. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“I’m sure Kei’s given me a glowing report,” he snickered.

“He complains about you all the time,” she admitted, her warm smile turning into a smirk. He winced at the remark, but she giggled and waved him off. “Which coming from Kei _is_ a glowing report. Besides, I can tell when he’s very fond of someone and you’ve definitely wiggled your way into his affections.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes, I’m afraid Kei didn’t get his honesty from his father. I was never one to lather affection on those I love and he’s just the same. Which is why I’m so relieved that you're his tutor and living here with him and his father. Come on in and sit down. I want to get to know you.”

She giggled as she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room. He dropped his bag on the floor and sat on the sofa, feeling relieved that she was just Sawamura’s ex. At the same time, he was a little nervous about being grilled by her. Her eyes were clever, and he had the distinct impression that she instinctively knew that he was falling in love with her ex-husband. He had no idea where this conversation was going to go.

“So,” he began awkwardly, meeting her gaze with what he hoped was confidence, “I always wondered why Kei was so blonde and tall.”

“Ha ha! Don’t let Daichi hear you say that.”

Kuroo’s smile slipped a little, feeling a jolt of pain at hearing her call him by his given name. But why wouldn’t she? They’d been married and had sex enough to have a kid out of it. 

“Is there anything he inherited from him?” he chuckled, hoping to mask his petty jealousy.

Mei hummed, considering it. “Not much… perhaps they share an innocent fascination with things. Although Daichi’s a businessman, he always had a fondness for animals, especially ones from the ocean. Kei’s obsession with dinosaurs always reminded me of him.”

“Seriously? I didn’t know that about him.”

Her face softened. “You haven’t known him for very long but that’s okay. I’m sure you’ll come to discover many things about them. You know, I thought Daichi was crazy to hire a college student as Kei’s tutor and invite him to live with them. I remember my college days and I wouldn’t have trusted me with a child as far as I could throw him.” 

She paused to laugh and Kuroo found himself chuckling with her. It was amazing, seeing the physical similarities between her and Kei, as well as a few personality traits. But with her maturity, she seemed softer and more confident. He looked forward to seeing Kei grow up in such a way, experiencing the world and conquering it. 

“But after a few weeks, I conceded that Daichi was right, as he usually is when it comes to Kei. He’s such a wonderful father.” She sighed and with the exhaled breath, her smile faltered. “I feel like a failure of a mother sometimes, but I’m relieved Kei at least has him.”

“No, you’re anything but a failure!” 

She huffed out a mirthless laugh and opened her mouth to protest, but Kuroo held up a hand to continue.

“Listen, I admit I still have a lot to learn about this family, but I love them to pieces. And I know I’m just starting to understand all of Kei’s layers, but it is obvious how much he adores you. There isn’t a shred of doubt in his mind that you love him. I see how much you call him and check up on him, and I know you’re in constant contact with Sawamura-san and Kei’s school to know everything about what he’s learning. 

You know, my own mom died when I was young and even though my father and I moved in with my grandparents, all of them worked around the clock. I spent more evenings having dinner at my best friend’s house rather than my own. And whenever I was around, my dad always seemed so… disinterested in me. Just because your career is important to you and keeps you busy doesn’t mean you’re not an incredible mother. There’s a vast difference between how I grew up and how Kei has. You’re doing great.”

For a moment, Kuroo thought that he may have overstepped his bounds. Mei seemed shocked by his speech and her light brown eyes studied him carefully. But when they glimmered with tears, she cleared her throat and glanced away from him to hide them. 

“Thank you, Kuroo-kun, that was… very sweet of you to say.”

“I meant every word of it.”

“Yes, I’m sure you did,” she laughed, the sound of it a little choked with a sob. By the time she turned back to him, however, there wasn’t a hint of tears and her expression was controlled as usual. The only exception was her eyes which seemed as warm as honey as she reached out and ruffled his hair. “Daichi better snatch you up quick before I try to steal you from him.”

“Huh?!”

She laughed and stood up from the sofa, running her hands over her dress to smooth it out. “Of course, if he’s your type, I doubt that I have a good chance. But that’s fine, my fiancé would be disappointed if I ran off with a younger man and I wouldn’t want to put him through that.”

As she strode through the living room into the hall, Kuroo followed her with his mind spinning. She relayed a lot of information in those few sentences, including the fact that she was engaged, but what his mind was fixated on was her hint that not only did she know about something happening between him and Sawamura, but she was encouraging of it.

“Kei! Hurry up or we’re going to be late for the train!” She called up the stairs. She smiled wider as Kei’s hurried steps could be heard as he ran across the hall to the bathroom.

“I’m almost ready, Mom!”

Kuroo’s breath hitched, hearing the breathless excitement in Kei’s voice. “I’ve never seen him like this. Where on earth are you taking him?”

Mei chuckled, her smile borderline smug. “To the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum.”

“Oh my god, you’re going to be his favorite forever now.”

“I know,” she said, smirking as she tossed her hair back. 

Kuroo snickered and turned his gaze back up the stairs where he could hear Kei running back to his room, his breaths coming fast and hard from running so much. It filled Kuroo’s chest with warmth that he was acting like a kid for once, not caring about what anyone else thought. The only disappointment he felt was that he wouldn’t be at the museum with them to see him geek out over every exhibit. 

“Um, Mei-san? Could you take lots of pictures for me while you’re there? Especially if Kei’s really going crazy over something, I’d love to see that.”

She beamed back at him and winked. “Of course, I will. I’ve already taken a hundred pictures of him since arriving and we haven’t even left the house yet. What’s your number?”

It might have been his imagination, but Mei’s seemed to gleam with mischief as she put him in her phone. Before meeting her, Kuroo hadn’t given her much thought but he never could have guessed she’d be so magnificent. He _should_ have guessed, considering what a catch Sawamura was, but it was still hard picturing them together.

“Can I ask you something?” 

“Go ahead.”

“I hope it doesn’t sound impertinent, but I was wondering how you and Sawamura-san ever got together. I mean, you _know_ I admire him, but you just seem so…”

“Out of his league?” she offered as one of her eyebrows raised. “It’s okay, you can say it. A lot of people felt that way but not me. We met at University and most men were either intimidated by me or just wanted to sleep with me. It made me a little jaded for a while and I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to get married. Then I had a random class with Daichi, and he was just so different. 

Mature, not intimidated at all by me but absolutely respectful. Even after our class together was over, I found myself seeking him out simply because he was enjoyable to be around. We relied on each other and built a strong bond of trust until one day I realized it was the deepest love I’ve ever felt for anyone.

_Then_ I had my freak out moment,” she laughed. “I wasn’t used to being the flustered one and suddenly I found myself tongue-tied anytime we were hanging out. When it was starting to concern him, I just said _to hell with it_ and kissed him. It didn’t take us long to decide that we wanted to get married and neither of our parents had any issues with it. 

For a while, it was wonderful. Even when we were poor students, we supported each other and helped the other through their hardest nights. Then we graduated, started working our way up from the bottom in our careers, and then I got pregnant.”

She pressed her lips together. “I was really scared when it happened, but Daichi assured me that I would never have to give up my dreams. And he was right. With his help and our parents, I was able to achieve them and have the best son anyone could have had. I was extremely fortunate.”

Kei’s door opened and shut, and they could hear him murmuring upstairs as he went through his own mental checklist. 

Mei gazed up the stairs with an affectionate smile and then turned back to Kuroo. “Take care of them for me?” she asked softly, so Kei couldn’t hear.

Kuroo beamed back at her and nodded. “Always.”

The stairs thundered as Kei bounded down them with his backpack and duffle bag. Kuroo gasped at the expression on his face, cheeks flushed with excitement and a genuine smile on his face. With his eyes growing hot with tears, Kuroo slipped his phone out and started to snap a few pictures.

“What the hell is wrong with everybody today? Why is everyone taking pictures of me?”

“Language, Kei. We can’t help it, you rarely get this excited.”

“Maybe some people should put in more effort,” Kei said, his nose raised indignantly as he eyed Kuroo.

“You’re right. I’m going to call the school and tell them they should only teach paleontology. From now on, I’m making you dinosaur-shaped cookies for every meal. I’ll also have them cancel gym class.”

“Seriously?”

“Ha! Nope.”

Kei sighed and rolled his eyes. “I’m ready, Mom.”

“Alright, let’s get going,” she chuckled, slipping her fingers through his hair. It warmed Kuroo’s heart to see him not only accept the touch but to lean into it. She wrapped her arm around Kei’s shoulders and led him to the door. With them like that, it was even more astounding how similar the two were.

As she opened the front door and Kei stepped out, she turned to Kuroo with a sly grin rising on her lips. “Oh, one more thing, Kuroo-kun.”

“Yes, Mei-san?”

“For being such a confident, strong-willed person, Daichi’s a bit of a mess when it comes to romance. If I were you, I’d be a bit more aggressive with your pursuing. I even told him he should take you out tonight to get the ball moving, and he turned into a sweaty, quivering mess. He called Koushi instead.”

She rolled her eyes and waved goodbye before shutting the door behind her. Kuroo stood there gaping in the foyer for a few minutes, too stunned to move a muscle. Finally, his brain began to reboot, and he numbly pulled his phone from his pocket and called one of the top numbers on his contact list.

“Hey, Bokuto, are you busy? That’s fine, I don’t mind if we all three hang out… Just to talk, I’ve got a lot on my mind and need to unload it…”

— 

“I don’t even know what I’m doing here.” Daichi grunted as Suga plowed his fist into his ribs.

“You’re impossible. You get a night off finally and you call _me_ instead of asking Kuroo if he wanted to spend some time with you. So, if you’re not going to make a move on him, I figured I’d drag you somewhere you could potentially get a little action. Don’t you see anything you do like?”

Daichi grimaced as he looked around the bar. There were many attractive men around, a couple even looking in their direction, but he couldn’t help comparing them to a certain person.

“They’re alright, but…”

“They’re not Kuroo, which is why you’re an idiot.”

“Thanks. I’m so glad I have your support.”

“You _do_ have my support. Maybe you should just call him and have him meet you here.”

“I can’t. He’s probably out with his friends by now. Besides, I’m sure Mei told him that I’m out with you.”

“Why would that matter? Just say that I got called home and I left you all by yourself. Yes, that’s good! Tell him how lonely you are.”

“Because that doesn’t sound desperate.”

“I think you’re both getting desperate.”

“You know, I just felt like having a nice quiet drink with you. Is that so bad?”

Suga sighed and swiveled on his stool until he was facing him. “I know with the kids it’s hard for us to catch up, but we see each other plenty. Not that I don’t like hanging out with you, but it lessens the fun when I _know_ you’re just avoiding making a move. It’s sad, you used to be more ballsy. Who else would have asked out Mei-chan, the leggy goddess of the law department?”

Daichi smiled fondly at the memory. “You always seem to forget that she asked me out, but most people do. She looked great when I saw her earlier. It’s nice seeing her so happy.”

“And I bet she’d love to see you in the same situation.”

“I am happy.”

“Yeah, but you could be _very_ happy.” Suga’s smile turned into something sinister as he leaned toward him. “What sort of things have you imagined Kuroo-kun doing to you, or vice versa?”

“Suga!” 

“Look at me, for example. I was friends with Hajime and enjoyed it while it lasted. But if I hadn’t made a move, someone else would have taken my big hunk of man meat away from me and I would be alone or with someone less right for me. I was happy and now I’m happier. Sure, it doesn’t always work out, but isn’t it worth the risk?”

Daichi sighed, tipping his glass toward him and gazing at the shrinking ice cubes in his drink. He picked it up and sipped it down, finally comprehending how much of a coward he was. Mei had even hinted for him to go after Kuroo while she whisked Kei off for some quality mother/son time, giving her full blessing. How many times was he going to let chances go by with a pitiful excuse before all his chances ran out?”

“Fine, you’re right. This was stupid. What should I do, should I call him? But he probably is out and if he’s with his friends, I doubt he’d leave them for me. He might invite me to meet them but that could be awkward. Ugh, why is this so hard? Suga, are you listening?”

Suga startled and turned back to him with an impish grin on his face. Daichi started to turn in his seat to see where he had been looking but Suga grabbed his arm and forced him to face the bar with a laugh.

“You know what, you just need to relax! Especially in a situation that’s a bit out of your element. I’m going to leave and go home. _You_ are going to stay here and have a drink, just to see what happens.”

“What? Suga, I’m in no mood to be picked up by some random—”

“Don’t worry about it! Just keep your fine ass planted in the chair and let fate take care of you, okay? Good.” He slipped off his stool and threw some bills down next to his drink. Daichi’s mind was still spinning as Suga gave him a slap on his back. “Remember, don’t move. Have a nice night!” he chirped, giving him a quick wink before leaving Daichi by himself. 

“What the hell?” he murmured to himself. Shrugging, he decided to at least finish his drink in peace. The thought of remaining there long enough to get hit on wasn’t appealing at all. In fact, no sooner had Suga left him did he notice a man further down the bar, eyeing him up. Daichi gulped nervously and tried ignoring him, focusing on draining the contents of his glass.

His stomach squirmed as he saw the man slide off his stool in his peripheral vision and his mind flooded with various excuses to throw the man off his scent. Perhaps he’d get lucky and the man was really looking at someone else. Glancing next to him, however, he saw that there wasn’t anyone else around that he could be focused on. Shit.

Daichi startled when someone landed hard on the counter next to him and he was instantly elated and amused to find Kuroo scrambling to take the seat before the other man could make it.

“Hey, Sawamura-san! Fancy seeing you here.”

Daichi chuckled at his toothy grin and the way he tried passing off his pain as he rubbed his side where it had hit the counter. “Yes, quite a coincidence. Are you okay?”

“Yup! Mind if I sit here?”

“Actually, I would love it if you joined me.”

Kuroo blinked at him for a moment, trying to figure out if Daichi was joking or not. Pursing his lips to keep from laughing, Daichi glanced down to see that Kuroo was still only partially on the stool. With a stroke of boldness, he reached his arm around Kuroo’s waist and pulled him all the way on it. 

“There, is that better?”

“Uh-huh… good,” Kuroo finally managed to say, nodding his head. 

Daichi smiled as he removed his arm and glanced into his empty glass. “I could use another drink. Can I get you one, Kuroo-kun?”

He could see Kuroo calming down as his regular smirk slid into place. He enjoyed seeing him flustered, especially whenever Daichi managed to flirt with him. But he liked seeing Kuroo in his element as well and he prepared himself for their inevitable battle of banter.

“Sure, I’ll have whatever you’re having.” Kuroo leaned on the counter and watched Daichi as he flagged down the bartender and ordered two more drinks. “You know, Sawamura-san, you’re a lot smoother than I thought you’d be.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You think I don’t know how to flirt?”

“I mean, I figured you knew how. Your ex-wife is a total babe.”

Daichi laughed. “Yes, she is. Wickedly smart too… hmm, guess it’s my type.” He kept his gaze on Kuroo as he said it and his stomach squirmed when Kuroo’s cheeks brightened.

“That’s good to know,” he murmured, glancing away as he ran his hands through his hair. “I guess what I mean is that it’s hard imagining you flirting with anyone. Is that why you’re here? To pick somebody up?”

Daichi noticed his gaze flickering back to the man who had been on his way to chat with him and had returned to his seat, watching Kuroo’s progress closely. 

“Honestly? I only came out to have a nice drink with Suga, but he already ditched me. Of course, if the right guy happened to collapse in the seat next to me,” he paused, reaching out to stroke his fingers over Kuroo’s knee, “then I wouldn’t mind being picked up. You know what I mean?”

The gentle touch had snapped Kuroo’s attention right back to him and for an agonizing moment, Daichi wondered if he’d gone too far. His heart was pounding, louder than the music pumping through the speakers, but he didn’t move away. To his overwhelming relief, Kuroo beamed back at him and turned his body toward him, careful not to remove Daichi’s hand from his knee.

“Yeah, I think I do. Sounds like a good plan, really.”

“I thought so.”

The bartender set their drinks in front of them and Daichi finally slid his fingers off Kuroo’s knee. He chuckled at Kuroo’s slight pout, but it disappeared as Daichi picked his drink up and turned to face him as well, maneuvering his legs to alternate with Kuroo’s. It was an intimate position to be in, their bodies slotting together like two puzzle pieces. It was another ballsy move but not only did Kuroo seem accepting of it, he seemed excited by it as well. Daichi just hoped it would be enough to signal to the rest of the bar that they would rather not be disturbed. 

“So, Sa’amura-san—”

“You can call me Daichi. We are having a drink together.”

Kuroo beamed back at him and Daichi had to wonder if he knew how cute he was when he was happy about something. It made him want to spoil Kuroo to bits.

“Alright, Daichi-san, so from what you’ve hinted, it’s been a while since you’ve been out. If someone was going to approach you, do you have a preferred way for them to do it? Cheesy pick-up line? Or are you the type that likes hearing something perverted right away?”

Daichi laughed and nudged him playfully with his knee. “I don’t know, I guess it would depend on the person… and how many drinks I’ve had.”

“Ooooh. Just for posterity, how many drinks does that make for you?”

“This is only my second.”

“Got it. Wait, does that mean you would have to be drunker for the pick-up lines to work or the perverted comment?”

“You know, I think I’d prefer someone to approach me with confidence, as long as he’s not too full of himself, and to just be himself. I think dating can sometimes be hard because you’re never sure of who the other person is until you’re already deep into it. It would be nice to get to know who they really are right away.”

“Oh, well in that case…” Kuroo leaned against the counter, propping his head up with his hand and gave Daichi his biggest grin. 

Daichi snorted and immediately set his glass down before he spilled it. He had to admit that as goofy as Kuroo was, he certainly knew how to show off his assets. He was wearing his leather jacket like normal with a simple white V-neck underneath. There were a couple of necklaces dangling around Kuroo’s neck and Daichi probably took a lot longer than he should have to gaze at the way they settled against his chest.

He cleared his throat and turned back to his drink, ignoring the glitter of mischief in Kuroo’s eyes. “What about you, Kuroo-kun?”

“What about me?”

“What’s your favorite way to get picked up?”

“Hmm, that’s a good question. I’m a fairly simple man, so it doesn’t have to be anything complicated or mysterious.” Kuroo frowned, falling silent for a moment. “Shit, that makes me sound easy.”

“Are you easy, Kuroo-kun?” Daichi teased, snickering at the way Kuroo’s cheeks were turning bright red. 

“No! I mean, um, like you said! About honesty and being upfront. I’m not crazy about mind games or anything like that. I guess my favorite thing is flirting with someone I’m already comfortable with… someone I admire.”

Daichi’s heart raced as Kuroo said that, his heavy-lidded eyes resting on him and not leaving any doubt about who he was talking about. 

“I like the sound of that,” he admitted, licking his lips. He watched as Kuroo’s gaze fell to them, his body instinctively leaning in closer. His eyes came back up to meet Daichi’s but instead of easing back to where he was, Kuroo smiled and held his ground. His confidence was growing by the minute and it was destroying any apprehension Daichi still had about hitting on him.

“Well, now that I know what it takes to flirt with you, Daichi-san, what about the next step? Are you looking for a random sexual encounter where you sneak out of the hotel in the middle of the night? Or would you want something… _more_?”

Daichi hummed appreciatively over the question, scratching his chin as he considered it. “I’m not going to lie, I had a couple of those one-night stands when I was younger.” He snickered as Kuroo’s face lit up with surprise. “I’m not really into that anymore though. I’m definitely wanting something more if it’s possible. Not that I’d take sex off the table if the mood was right.”

Kuroo pressed his lips together, muffling his fiendish giggle. He leaned back a little and, to Daichi’s surprise, pulled out his phone.

“Hold on one second, Daichi-san. I have to check something.”

“Okay…”

Daichi watched his fingers typing furiously on his screen as he took a sip of his drink. Kuroo had hardly touched his but Daichi didn’t mind. He had no idea what he was up to, but he had a good feeling about the direction they were headed. Kuroo finally closed his screen and set his phone on the counter, watching Daichi expectantly. He raised his eyebrows in question but Kuroo simply shrugged back.

His breath hitched when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He was worried that it might be Kei and pulled it out immediately only to find a message from Kuroo instead. Before opening it, he gave Kuroo a questioning look and received another vague shrug back. Daichi rolled his eyes and opened up the message.

**Kuroo:** _Hey Sawamura-san! Since you and Kei are out tonight, is it okay if I bring someone over? I’m really hitting it off with this one guy_ (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑

Daichi leaned forward over the counter and smacked his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. Kuroo snickered at his reaction, obviously proud of himself. Never to be one to go down without a fight, Daichi subdued his smile and typed a message back, making sure Kuroo couldn’t see his screen.

**Daichi:** _That depends. Does he seem mature? Sexy?_

Once the text was sent, he set his phone down and took another drink. He barely held back a chuckle when he saw Kuroo’s face fall in his peripheral vision, but he kept his eyes forward. When Kuroo’s phone finally chimed with an incoming text, he snatched it up and immediately sputtered with laughter.

“Really?”

“I’m sorry, did you say something Kuroo-kun?”

“Uh, no, sorry. I’m almost done, I promise.”

“That’s fine… I’m having fun.”

Kuroo glanced up from his phone, his smile stretching wide as Daichi’s words sank in. “Good. I’m glad.”

The texting continued for a while until they settled that Kuroo had permission to bring someone over, as long as he made sure the other party was properly satisfied at the end and they didn’t leave any big messes. When Suga had dragged him to the bar earlier, he had no idea that the evening would turn out to be so much fun. But he knew that fact had nothing to do with the environment he was in, and everything to do with Kuroo. 

It didn’t seem to matter where they were, he was always happiest if Kuroo was with him. That fact was a little startling but with all things considered, it shouldn’t have been. From the moment Kuroo entered his life, they had fallen into a swaying rhythm of teasing back and forth. He knew personally that he wasn’t _very_ old, but Kuroo made him feel younger than he had in years. 

With a satisfied grin, Kuroo finally slid his phone back in his pocket. He shifted on the barstool until he was facing Daichi completely and slid his hand across the bar top. As his fingers grazed over Daichi’s hand, his heart raced out of control.

“So, this has been fun, Daichi-san, but don’t you think we’d have more fun somewhere else?”

“Oh? What did you have in mind?” Daichi smiled as he watched Kuroo’s throat bob, sensing a flicker of nervousness that he was trying hard to hide.

“I thought it would be nice if we could get to know each other better in a more private environment. Would you like to go back to my place?”

“Hmm, that’s an intriguing proposition. Do you live alone?”

“Actually, I live with another man and his son, but they’re both out for the evening. We shouldn’t be disturbed. What do you say?”

Even if Kuroo’s place hadn’t been the same as Daichi’s, the proposition would have been impossible to resist. 

“I’d love to,” he finally answered, shifting his hand around to clasp Kuroo’s. As his fingers grazed over Kuroo’s wrist, he could feel his pulse thrumming rapidly under his skin. With that and Kuroo’s ecstatic expression, he couldn’t resist pushing a little further as he picked Kuroo’s hand up and kissed his fingers. “Ready?”

“Uh-huh,” Kuroo said, nodding his head. 

Daichi chuckled and released his hand only to pull out enough money to cover their drinks. Kuroo was already off his stool and when Daichi turned around, he saw that he was excitedly gesturing to another couple in a booth. The bigger guy with spiked hair gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up, his grin wide and proud. The other one with curly black hair only smirked back at Kuroo and rolled his eyes. 

“Do you know them?”

“Huh?!” Kuroo startled, not realizing that Daichi was watching. He cringed and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, sorry, that’s Bokuto and Akaashi. I came here with them to hang out.”

“Oh! The engaged couple?”

“Yes, that one.”

Daichi hummed and glanced back at them. From how Kuroo described Bokuto, he imagined he was the one with spiked hair who was sinking down in his seat after realizing they had been caught. Daichi snickered and nudged Kuroo with his elbow.

“They seem great. I’d like to meet them properly sometime. For now, are you ready to go?”

Kuroo relaxed with a sigh and nodded. “Definitely.”

He threaded their hands together and pulled him gently across the bar, giving a little wave to Akaashi and Bokuto as they passed by. Daichi pulled his attention from their clasped hands long enough to give the pair a smile and nod, which seemed to perk up Bokuto immediately. 

“By the way,” Kuroo said as they stepped out into the cool night air, “did you drive?”

“No, Suga drove me… and he abandoned me, I just realized.”

“Ha! Well, he saw me, so he probably figured we would be going back together.”

“Sounds about right. Did you drive?” 

“I did! Lucky since I had been planning on taking the train, but I didn’t feel much like drinking tonight anyway. Here it is, after you.”

Kuroo released his hand and opened the passenger door, giving Daichi a wink as he gestured inside. Daichi laughed as he slipped inside.

“What a gentleman.”

“Of course!” he chirped back and was about to shut the car door when he paused. He leaned inside, giving Daichi a devilish smirk. “Although I should warn you, Daichi-san. My intentions toward you aren’t exactly honorable.”

Daichi wasn’t certain if it was Kuroo’s sly voice or how tantalizingly close his lips were. Perhaps it was everything added up that finally pushed him over the edge. It was no longer about his courage or loneliness or what Kuroo really thought of him. He reached up and threaded his fingers through Kuroo’s silky hair and guided him closer.

“Good,” he whispered just before pressing his lips against Kuroo’s. He felt Kuroo’s breath catch but he relaxed immediately and reached inside to wrap his arm around Daichi’s waist. They melted into it, varying the kisses from soft and apprehensive to quick and teasing. 

Daichi hummed and cupped the back of Kuroo’s head, encouraging him to come closer. As Kuroo nearly dove into the car and braced himself on the steering wheel to keep from falling, Daichi sputtered with laughter.

“What’s so funny, Daichi-san?” Kuroo purred, taking the chance to nuzzle against his ear and graze his teeth against it. 

“You’re funny, but I love it.” 

“Oh? Am I just funny? Or do I have any other appealing characteristics?” he asked as his hands crept up Daichi’s shirt. 

Daichi’s breath shuddered at the delicate touch and he wanted so badly to yank Kuroo inside the car and devour him. But they were still in a public parking lot and he spied several people walking toward their area. With every ounce of willpower he had, he tugged Kuroo gently back and looked him in the eye.

“You have many appealing characteristics. I’ll tell you all about them but for now, we should probably get going.”

Kuroo glanced out the window when Daichi gestured toward it and grimaced. “Ugh, you’re right.” Before slipping out of the car, he paused to snatch Daichi’s lips into one last kiss. “To be continued,” he promised, giving Daichi another wink before shutting the door. 

As he watched Kuroo rush to the other side of the car, Daichi pressed his back into the seat and took a deep breath. His blood was pumping furiously, his stomach squirming from the excitement. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt that way, and he couldn’t wait for Kuroo to get them home and deliver on his promise.

—

It was quiet on the way back home and Kuroo tried his hardest to focus on the road. He couldn’t believe it was finally happening, that he had just made out with Daichi and now they were heading back to their place to do _more_ , whatever that entailed. His lips were still tingling from Daichi’s kisses and he absentmindedly touched them. 

When he pulled up to a stoplight, he stole a glance next to him. Daichi was gazing out the window, but he could see in the reflection that he was smiling. Before Kuroo could stop himself, he reached over the center console and picked Daichi’s hand off his thigh. He threaded their fingers together and beamed as Daichi clasped his hand back and rested them back on his lap. It was warm, and it filled Kuroo’s mind with even more filthy thoughts than before. 

“It’s green.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Kuroo focused back on driving but he could see Daichi turn toward him as he chuckled. “Did you know I was going to be at that bar tonight?”

“No! I mean, I knew you were hanging out with Suga-san, but that could mean anything. That’s actually our favorite bar to hang out in whenever we go out for drinks.”

“I didn’t know that. I’m glad we bumped into each other. To be honest, I had been planning on asking you if you wanted to do something with me, but I chickened out at the last minute.”

“Seriously? Daichi-san, I’m pretty sure that I would do anything you ask, so you don’t have to worry about me ever refusing you. Unless I had an important prior commitment. _Important_ , mind you, there’s a lot I’d cancel if I got the chance to go on a date with you.”

Daichi laughed. “Thank you for your honesty. I’ll consider that from now on.”

“Ah, finally. Here we are.”

“This is nice,” Daichi said, peering around the window as if he didn’t live there also. 

“It is, isn’t it? I’ve never lived in such a nice place.”

“Really? It’s not bad living with an older man and his son?”

Kuroo snickered as he released Daichi’s hand to put the car in park. “Nah, it’s not bad. I know this might sound strange but sometimes it feels like I’m part of their family. I don’t want to be presumptuous about it, but I do really love it here.” 

Daichi’s smile deepened, cute dimples pressing into his cheeks. “I’m glad. I’m sure they feel the same way about you.”

“I hope so.”

Daichi unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned closer to Kuroo. His warm hand cupped Kuroo’s cheek and brushed their lips together, the kiss feeling strangely natural even when it was so new and exciting.

“They do,” Daichi whispered against his lips and pulled away to slip out of the car. 

Kuroo released a long breath before doing the same, his mind still reeling that he had finally reached a point with his relationship with Daichi where they were kissing. It was so thrilling that he felt like climbing onto the roof and shouting at the sky about it. Doing such an idiotic thing might set him back further with Daichi, however, so he quickly hopped out of the car and chased after Daichi as he wandered to the front door. 

He laughed when Daichi stepped aside to let him unlock it, his smile adorably playful. Kuroo didn’t say anything as he let them inside, flipping on the lights out of habit. It felt familiar coming home, but with it came a thick, crackling tension that was building with every moment of silence. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves and tried to come up with something smooth to say.

As he turned around, however, he was shocked to see Daichi biting his nails, his usual confidence completely decimated now that they were home. 

“Hey, Daichi-san,” he said softly, trailing his fingers down his arm. 

Daichi startled and gave him a smile that didn’t reach his worried eyes. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I was just about to ask you that. Listen, I’m already over the moon with what we’ve done so far, but there’s no pressure to do anything more than that. Especially not tonight. Whatever we do together, I want you to be completely comfortable with it, okay?”

Daichi scratched the back of his head, his cheeks flushing. “It’s not like that. I’m comfortable and excited to do anything and everything with you, trust me… but I’m also just incredibly nervous.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Seriously? You don’t look nervous.”

“Ha, that’s encouraging. I’m also trying not to lift my arms, otherwise, you’ll see for yourself how much I’m sweating.” Kuroo perked up as Daichi finally relaxed with a laugh. “Hey! I have an amazing idea.”

“What’s that?”

Kuroo grinned as he ran both his hands down Daichi’s arms, admiring everything from his styled hair and nice clothes that beautifully accented the muscles underneath. “How about you and I go upstairs…” he paused, letting the suggestiveness sink in and snickering when Daichi cocked his eyebrow, “... to our own rooms, get changed into comfy clothes like sweats or jammies, then we meet back here and watch a fun movie on the sofa. It’ll be like a cozy first date that may or may not end in sex. I’ll be more than satisfied with some sneaky kisses here and there… maybe an ass squeeze if I’m lucky. Oh! Or a tiddy squeeze.”

Daichi dropped his face into his hands as he laughed. Kuroo chuckled and continued rubbing his arms until he felt no tension in them at all. Finally, Daichi lowered his hands and gazed up at him, his eyes large and filled with dark chocolate while his smile was soft and radiant.

“I think that sounds like a perfect plan. Do you actually own pajamas?”

“I do! I’m usually really cold when I go to bed but as I sleep, I get too hot and take them off. I’m a sleep stripper.”

“Hmm, good to know,” Daichi mused as he tugged on the edge of Kuroo’s jacket. Taking a few slow steps towards the stairs, he held Kuroo’s gaze as he slipped his own jacket off his shoulders. Kuroo gulped and stumbled after him in a trance, wishing he could have the honor of removing the rest of his clothes for him.

_Don’t get pushy, Tetsurou…_

Following Daichi up the stairs proved to have its own issues as Kuroo repeatedly missed steps and fell forward, knocking his shins on the next step up.

“Kuroo, what’s going on?” Daichi said, pausing to glance down at him even though he was nearly to the top.

Kuroo winced. “Sorry, um, it’s a little embarrassing.” When Daichi raised an eyebrow and refused to move, Kuroo sighed and averted his gaze. “You should wear those jeans more often. They look, uh, really good on you.”

“What does that have to do with you falling every other step?”

“I have a very good view from back here and the jeans fit nice and snug over your—”

“Okay, I get it,” Daichi said quickly as he turned back around.

“Are you mad at me?”

“What? No, I’m just embarrassed.”

“Why are _you_ embarrassed?! I’m the one that got caught staring at your ass.”

Daichi chuckled and paused outside his door, looking back at him with a bright red face. “Nothing wrong with that. I’m glad you like my ass, Kuroo-kun. See you in a bit.”

Kuroo giggled. “Yeah, see you soon.”

They both entered their rooms at the same time, closing the doors behind them. Kuroo leaned back against it with a heavy sigh, his mind whirling with everything that had transpired over the last couple of hours. It was one thing to get along with someone and fantasize about being with them, but it was quite another to experience it first-hand. And kissing Daichi for real was better than anything his imagination could have conjured. He wondered if making love to him would be the same.

There was no guarantee that they were going to have sex, but the interest was there at least. It was more hope than he had earlier that day and as long as he didn’t blow it, the possibility for having sex would remain even if they don’t get to it that night. The very thought of being with Daichi like that was making him hard, so Kuroo shook his head and straightened off the door. 

Stripping out of his clothes was quick and easy but finding a pair of clean pajamas that weren’t covered in holes was a bigger problem. Finally, he found a pair of his most comfortable pants and chose a regular T-shirt that was soft enough for sleeping in. He always liked how he looked in it too. He wasn’t trying to pressure Daichi, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t influence him with his stunning good looks, right?

After a quick glance in the mirror, he finally emerged from his room and paused in the hallway. He listened, trying to figure out if Daichi was still changing when he heard a sound coming from downstairs. Licking his lips, Kuroo crept down the stairs and prayed to the gods that he wouldn’t mess up such a blessed opportunity.

His footsteps were soft as he wandered close to the living room and peeked in the doorway. Daichi was hovering in front of the shelves that held their entire collection of DVD’s, taking one out, grimacing, and then putting it back in its spot. While he was preoccupied, Kuroo smiled as he took the rare opportunity to check Daichi out in his sleep clothes. 

Anytime he caught him in them previously, Daichi always seemed cutely bashful about being seen in them. Kuroo couldn’t imagine why. Sure, the man was stunning in his well-cut suits, but his plain T-shirts hugged his body in a soft material that made Kuroo’s hands itch to touch. The way his lounge pants curved over his ass was enough to have Kuroo biting his hand just to keep it to himself. 

“Oh, you’re here,” Daichi said, startling Kuroo out of his blatant ogling. Luckily, Daichi seemed too nervous to notice and kept his eyes on the shelf in front of him. “I have no idea what we should watch. Any suggestions?”

Kuroo hummed and sauntered into the room to join him. “What about something we can’t watch when Kei’s home? An action flick, horror… porn?”

Daichi snorted and lightly slapped his stomach. “Not _porn_ … not yet.”

“Oh ho ho, I’ll keep that in mind for the future.”

Kuroo preened at the reluctant smile on Daichi’s face, relieved that his teasing helped him relax. Not that he was going to stop teasing. He wandered behind Daichi under the pretense of looking at the selection, gradually moving closer until his chest pressed against Daichi’s back. He heard Daichi give an irritated huff, but he didn’t move away. Kuroo’s grin widened even more as he gently set his chin on top of Daichi’s head.

“You’re asking for it.”

“Am I? What am I going to get?”

“Probably nothing as pleasurable as you’re thinking.”

“Are you sure? I’m not opposed to a little spanking.”

Kuroo pursed his lips as Daichi’s back shook with restrained laughter. So often in relationships, his partner at the time would inevitably push him away because of his ridiculous sense of humor or for putting his foot in his mouth. Playfully chatting with Daichi was a breath of fresh air and his reactions were always the best. 

“Got it,” Daichi finally announced, pointing up to a DVD on the highest shelf. “I haven’t actually watched this one yet but wanted to.”

“Here, I’ll get it.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Before Kuroo could protest, Daichi bumped him back a step. It took Kuroo a moment to pull his mind out of the gutter from having Daichi’s ass colliding with his pelvic region. When he did, he immediately slapped his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing.

Daichi was definitely the type to believe he could do anything through sheer willpower. Would it kill him to swallow his pride enough to at least grab a step stool or, _heaven forbid_ , allow Kuroo to reach the elusive DVD? Kuroo decided the best course of action was to flop onto the sofa, stretch out, and enjoy the show. 

He stared at Daichi’s socked feet teetering on tiptoes and gradually lifted his gaze to the rest of his body. A part of him worried that Daichi was going to strain something, but he couldn’t deny that the stretch was putting his arched back on beautiful display. If only he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

Daichi dropped himself flat on his feet and huffed. The back of his neck and ears were turning red and Kuroo bit his lip hard, his giggles rising up in his throat. Daichi may be an older man than him, but he was certain that if he lived to be a hundred, he’d still be that cute. 

He erased all evidence of his amusement when Daichi turned, hoping to look as innocent as possible. Apparently, he didn’t need to worry because Daichi’s embarrassment kept him from glancing his way. Instead, he stuck his chin in the air and marched three steps to the edge of the room where the stepstool was kept, picked it up, and brought it back to the shelf. Kuroo flinched when Daichi dropped it hard on the floor and stomped on top of it, releasing an indignant _humph_ once the DVD was in his hand. 

“Got it.”

Kuroo bit back the _many_ sarcastic remarks and beamed back at him. “Great! I’m looking forward to it.” 

He couldn’t hold back his laughter completely when his voice trembled, earning him a scowl. But Daichi was well aware how much he deserved it, so he shrugged it off and popped the movie in. He took a deep breath as he approached the sofa and stopped right in front of Kuroo, frowning as he looked it over. 

“Leave any space for me?”

_Don’t pat your lap and say right here. Don’t pat your lap and say right here. Don’t pat your lap and say right here…_

“Sure, I’ll slide over a little bit.”

He winked as he shuffled over, leaving his arm stretched out across the back of the sofa. Daichi chuckled and eased onto the cushion next to him, leaning his head back against his arm. Kuroo sighed and hoped that the rest of the night would go so smoothly. 

The whole idea behind settling in for a movie was to put Daichi at ease. It seemed to be working from what Kuroo could tell. There wasn’t any tension left in Daichi’s body as he watched the screen with a soft smile on his face. It was all according to plan except for one critical issue: the situation wasn’t relaxing at all for Kuroo. 

Daichi’s leg was pressed up against his and the warmth of his skin was pushing through the soft fabric of his pajama pants. Not only that, but Kuroo could tell that Daichi’s thighs were solid and picturing what they probably looked like was making him sweat. He tore his eyes away from them and focused on the TV instead, but all he could think about was how the hero, though he was obviously athletic, probably didn’t have thighs as powerful as Daichi.

For about twenty minutes, Kuroo managed to focus on the movie. On a normal day, it probably would have been a very good movie. He made a mental note to try to watch it again with Bokuto sometime. But with Daichi sitting next to him, it was impossible to pay attention for a great length of time. Since Daichi seemed relaxed and settled, Kuroo was craving to push a little further. 

He lifted his arm and stretched it up to the ceiling with a groan. Daichi glanced at him quizzically since it was a move someone would make when they want to snuggle on the sofa, and they had already been doing that. Kuroo grinned back and slipped lower on the sofa until his head rested on Daichi’s shoulder.

“Ah, this is better.”

Daichi chuckled. “Comfy?”

“Mmm, yes.”

“Here, get up for one second.”

As Kuroo reluctantly lifted his head up, Daichi shifted his body toward him and wrapped his arm around him, pulling Kuroo back against him.

“How’s this?”

“Infinitely better,” Kuroo sighed, snuggling against his shoulder and letting his arm drape over Daichi’s stomach. “Oh my god, are you hard all over?”

“What?”

“Your thighs, your stomach… I mean, I know you work out a lot but damn,” he said, trailing his fingers over Daichi’s abdomen. He continued making impressed noises as his fingertips traced every curve and dip, peeking up to gauge Daichi’s reaction. His lips were pursed but the edges were curling up in a smile. From the pink rising in his cheeks, Kuroo guessed that he was either pleased with the compliment or getting turned on. Possibly both.

“Thanks, but I do have some soft parts, too.”

“Where?”

“Do you _have_ to know?”

Kuroo snickered and tilted his head up to grin at him. “Trust me, I won’t think you’re any less sexy.”

Daichi cocked an eyebrow. “Says the guy who has no body fat on him at all.”

“I do too!”

“Where?!”

“I got a slight jiggle in my pecs.” He pouted a little when Daichi snorted. Kuroo had to admit that whatever jiggle he had, Daichi probably had _more_ , a fact that didn’t bother him one bit. “My butt is pretty round too.”

“Hmm, I’ll give you that one.” Daichi’s voice was a low purr as he slipped his hand down Kuroo’s back and gently cupped his ass. He laughed as Kuroo’s eyes grew wide and he gasped.

“Daichi-san, you just fondled me.”

“Wasn’t that the point of all this?”

“It is, but I’ve been holding myself back this whole time.”

“Seriously? Then it seems like you’ve gotta catch up.”

Oh God, did he love that challenging smile of Daichi’s, and it was just the sort of declaration he was wanting. He met Daichi’s grin with one of his own and slid up a little further until his lips hovered over Daichi’s neck. He hesitated to press his lips down, allowing his breath to ghost over Daichi’s sensitive skin while he slipped his hand underneath his shirt. Daichi shivered underneath him and he took that as a cue to open his mouth wider and graze his teeth over the curve of his throat. 

Daichi’s breath shuddered as he released it, at the same time rubbing his hand over Kuroo’s ass. It was making Kuroo’s skin burn and he couldn’t wait to start shedding some clothes. He wanted Daichi to feel the same and he pressed his lips against his skin, moaning as he sucked hard. Daichi tilted his head back to give him more room to work with and Kuroo couldn’t resist gazing up at the thickness of it and its sensual curves. He wanted to taste every inch of his skin, so he started at the base, pressing his tongue against it and running it up the length of his throat. 

Their bodies continuously shifted, making it easier for them to reach certain parts. Daichi was on his back, one hand consistently fondling Kuroo’s ass while the other gripped into his hair. Kuroo moved further on top of him, both hands now pulling Daichi’s shirt up and raking across his abdomen. Already their breaths were getting heavy and Kuroo could feel his growing arousal, but he was in no hurry. The man plaguing his fantasies for the past few months was beneath him, chest heaving and firm hands exploring Kuroo in a way he never even imagined. He wished it could last forever.

“Oh, _there’s_ your soft parts,” Kuroo snickered, squeezing his hands over a slight mound of fat over Daichi’s hips. It really wasn’t much and to be honest, Kuroo liked the feel of it under his fingers. Unfortunately, Daichi didn’t feel the same as he slapped the back of Kuroo’s head.

“Brat.”

“Ow! I was just admiring them.” 

“Can’t you continue admiring my good parts?”

Kuroo frowned and lifted himself enough to gaze down at Daichi. His eyes were dark and heated, cheeks blossoming with pink. He was so stunning that Kuroo sighed longingly, grazing his finger across his jaw. 

“Daichi-san, you don’t have any bad parts, which is why I’m admiring all of you.”

The dark eyes staring back at him grew even larger, staring at him in disbelief.

“Wow… that was a good line.”

“It was, wasn’t it?” Kuroo grinned wide as Daichi chuckled, but he subdued it as he leaned a little closer. “But I’m being honest. Just when I thought you couldn’t be any more handsome or appealing, suddenly I discover another facet of you and— _holy shit_ , are these your back muscles?!” he screeched as his hand slid around his back.

Daichi threw his head back with a laugh but Kuroo was too busy exploring to feel embarrassed. His earlier apprehension was thrown out the window as he nestled his face into Daichi’s pillowy bosom and raked his fingers across his back. It wasn’t like Daichi was a bodybuilder or anything, which was good because that was a little too intense for him. But he did have the kind of back that had defined ridges whenever he flexed that made Kuroo want to scale it like a rock climber.

He wasn’t sure how long he smothered himself in Daichi’s chest while his hands explored underneath his shirt. But eventually, he felt a tug on his hair and allowed Daichi to pull his head up. Kuroo pursed his lips, feeling a little guilty but Daichi only chuckled as he cupped his face to bring it closer. 

“Enjoying yourself?”

“Yes… a little too much.”

“Good! How about we enjoy ourselves together?” His voice quieted as he gently pulled Kuroo closer. Together they shut their eyes and hummed as their lips touched. Daichi pulled his hands away and wrapped his arms around Kuroo’s back, pressing their bodies even closer. Kuroo sank into the kiss as he opened his lips wider to slip his tongue through. Daichi accepted it eagerly, his chest rising with a deep breath. 

The movie continued on in the background, high-tempo music accompanying an exciting car chase or something. Kuroo could barely hear it over the pounding of his heart, or was it Daichi’s? Their bodies gradually melded together as their limbs wrapped tighter around each other. It still wasn't close enough to satisfy Kuroo but soon the heat was almost suffocating. 

He pulled away from the kiss and braced himself above Daichi, gasping for breath. Daichi’s eyes blinked and settled on him as a soft smile spread across his lips.

“Are you okay?” he asked, reaching up to smooth Kuroo’s hair out of his eyes. 

“Yeah, it’s just getting really hot.”

Daichi’s throat bobbed but his expression was determined. He braced his hands on Kuroo’s shoulders and gently pushed him up until he was straddling his lap. Daichi sat up along with him and let his hands graze down his chest and stomach. When they reached the bottom of his T-shirt, his fingers gripped the hem and began pulling it up. 

Kuroo giggled and raised his arms, allowing Daichi to pull his shirt off completely. As it popped off his head, Daichi snickered and ruffled his fingers through Kuroo’s hair.

“Looks hopeless.”

“Hey!”

“It’s okay. Just admiring _all_ your parts.”

“I don’t know how that smooth line came back to bite me in the ass.”

Daichi laughed, shaking his head. As his eyes traveled down the length of Kuroo’s torso, however, he sighed. 

“Honestly, I can’t get over how beautiful you are. It’s been a long time since anyone’s excited me so much, or made me laugh as you do,” he added with a chuckle. He lifted his gaze back up and wrapped his arms around Kuroo’s waist, pulling him close until his chin rested in the center of Kuroo’s chest. They sat like that for a moment with goofy smiles while Kuroo took the chance to run his fingers through Daichi’s hair. 

As mischief flickered in Daichi’s eyes, however, Kuroo’s heart began to race. Maintaining eye contact with Kuroo, Daichi eased his face down enough that he could press his lips against his skin. First one slow kiss with a slight suck to it and then several lighter ones that tickled Kuroo into a frenzy. And every time Daichi’s eyes were locked with his and his lips slowly traveled toward his left nipple. 

Kuroo’s body was trembling with anticipation. He was thankful that Daichi’s hands were keeping him steady as they rubbed across his back, otherwise, he’d drop like a wet noodle. The whole scenario wasn’t heading in the direction he thought it would, picturing instead him seducing Daichi until he was begging for Kuroo. Instead, it seemed like they were taking turns with the seduction tactics, a bit of tug-of-war and he was surprised by how much he was enjoying it. 

He bit his lip as he watched Daichi’s lips draw achingly close to his sensitive nub. Already he was concocting ideas to get him back, to make _him_ tremble with anticipation. But as Daichi hovered his lips over his nipple and ran his tongue over it, Kuroo didn’t have a coherent thought in his head. 

A moan ripped through his throat as he tipped his head back, relishing in the wet heat massaging his sensitive skin. As if that wasn’t sexy enough, Daichi hummed, sending vibrations into it through his lips. Kuroo tightened his grip on Daichi’s hair, not wanting to pull him away but needing something to hold onto. Daichi’s tongue began moving faster and while he held Kuroo steady with a palm against his back, he brought the other hand to the front to fondle Kuroo’s neglected nipple. 

“What the hell?” he panted between waves of pleasure rolling through him. “How are you so good at this?” He regretted asking as soon as Daichi pulled back but then he licked his lips and Kuroo decided that was just about as sexy.

“Good at what, sex? You didn’t think I was a virgin, did you? Because I promise Kei’s my real son.”

“No, sorry, you’ve obviously had sex. Have you ever been with a man though? You seem totally smooth at this.”

Daichi leaned back to catch his breath, keeping one arm slung around Kuroo’s waist. “I’ve been with men, but it’s been a long time. Glad I’ve still got my touch,” he added, smirking as he dipped his hand down the inside of Kuroo’s pajama pants. 

“Oh God, yes, you do. I’ve never been this unraveled before. I usually do the unraveling.”

“Do you not like it? If you’d feel more comfortable leading, then I—”

“No, I love this! It’s a new experience and I assure you it’s a _pleasurable_ one.”

Daichi beamed and blatantly drank in the sight of Kuroo, making his heart pound even harder. “Good! Because I have been craving to spoil you rotten, Kuroo. I want to make you feel every kind of pleasure I can give you. Is that okay?”

Kuroo loved the idea of being spoiled by Daichi, but when he asked if that was alright, Kuroo snorted. “Is that a trick question? Daichi-san, I’m begging you to pleasure me. I’ll take it all.”

“Alright then. First, I need to get you out of these pants.”

“Excuse me, but _somebody_ is still fully clothed,” Kuroo grumbled, grabbing Daichi’s shirt and yanking it up. 

Daichi chuckled but helped him remove it before he ripped the fabric in his haste. Kuroo’s breath caught as he finally got a good look at Daichi’s body. It was thicker than his but most of it was firm with muscle. He exhaled slowly as he ran his hands over his torso, completely forgetting about hurrying.

But Daichi had other ideas as he hooked his arms underneath Kuroo and turned them to the side. Kuroo yelped and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, squeezing his eyes shut as Daichi’s soft laughter tickled against his skin. As Daichi braced his feet on the floor, he gripped onto the waistband of Kuroo’s pants and tugged them down. 

Kuroo lifted himself up on his knees to make it easier, but it only seemed to distract Daichi as he leaned forward to kiss Kuroo’s stomach. His hands lost their focus too, promptly moving back to Kuroo’s bare bottom instead of completing the task of removing his pants. For a few minutes, Kuroo was satisfied with it as well, Daichi’s rough fingertips kneading his cheeks while his lips traveled precariously close to his erection. But when Daichi purposely avoided it, choosing to move back up his abdomen with his tantalizing kisses, Kuroo’s impatience spiked.

Huffing, Kuroo tore himself away from Daichi’s lips and hands and slipped off the sofa. Daichi cleared his throat to cover up a snicker but he didn’t tease Kuroo about it. Instead, while Kuroo worked off his pants, Daichi slipped his off as well and leaned over to reach his hand into the sofa cushion next to him.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting my supplies,” he said, pulling out a couple of condoms and lube.

“How long have _those_ been there?!”

Daichi laughed as he laid the condoms next to him and popped open the bottle of lube. “I brought them down with me, goofball. I wouldn’t keep these stuffed in the sofa with Kei around. I actually used to hide snacks there, but he caught me, so I had to find a new spot.”

“I am going to make it my new mission to find your hidden snacks. But for the moment,” he paused to let out a low whistle as he gazed at Daichi’s naked body, “I have an important quest to complete.”

A proud grin spread across Daichi’s face as he shifted on the cushion to get comfortable. Once he was settled, he patted his thighs and said, “Come along, brave knight. Let’s see if you can conquer the beast.”

“Oh ho! Are you sure I’m not the beast, Daichi-san?” he purred as he slinked onto Daichi’s lap. He didn’t lower himself right away, straddling Daichi's legs. Daichi hummed as he pressed his face against his stomach and Kuroo couldn’t resist running his fingers through his soft hair. He gulped as he heard the lube bottle squeeze and tried to remain as relaxed as possible. 

“Are you nervous?” Daichi asked, raising his face to gaze up at Kuroo. 

“A little. I’ve bottomed before and it wasn’t a great experience. But I’m excited to try it with you! You’re… special.”

Daichi smiled and smacked his lips against Kuroo’s skin. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you enjoy this. Trust me.”

Kuroo hummed as he closed his eyes. He focused on the way Daichi’s hair tickled his skin as he varied kisses and sensual licks over Kuroo’s torso. His hands fumbled behind his back but soon they found their place back on Kuroo’s cheeks. While one hand fondled and spread his cheeks apart, the other one was slicked up with lube and ran a finger across his entrance. 

“Kuroo,” Daichi whispered, leaning back and lifting his face up. “Kuroo, come here.”

Gazing down at him, Kuroo watched as Daichi ran his tongue over his lips and he knew exactly what he wanted. Kuroo grinned and cupped Daichi’s face as he leaned close enough to join their lips. It was a slow, sensual kiss, lips open to allow their tongues to slip through. Soon Kuroo was enthralled with the wet stroke of Daichi’s lips against his and the occasional gentle suck, that it wasn’t jarring at all when Daichi’s finger worked its way in. 

It was as tender and patient as their kissing, keeping him in a relaxed state. But as the finger slipped in and out at a faster pace, Kuroo’s pulse began to match the quicker tempo. The finger stretched and circled while their kisses grew in intensity. Moans poured past their lips and Kuroo’s fingers tightened in his hair. 

It seemed that with every bit of pleasure Daichi gave him, it multiplied his desires. He didn’t want the kisses to end, but he wanted to rub up against Daichi’s skin to relieve the ache in his untouched cock. He could have both if he sat on Daichi’s lap, but then he would have trouble stretching him out from behind and Kuroo wanted to get through that part quickly. Not that it was uncomfortable because Daichi was obviously not kidding when he said he knew what he was doing. He just wanted Daichi’s cock inside him more than anything, so he just needed to be a little patient.

Unfortunately, Daichi seemed to be having the time of his life. With two fingers slipping in and out of Kuroo, Daichi snickered as Kuroo whined into the kiss. He would have pouted, but that would have broken up their rhythm even more. Instead, he reached down between them and squeezed one of Daichi’s pecs for a healthy dose of revenge.

Daichi stiffened underneath him but he relaxed immediately, not stopping his fingers or lips from their work of wrecking Kuroo to bits. He wasn’t resigned to failure yet though and took the opportunity to gently fondle his impressive man bosom, gently rubbing his thumb over his nipple. Daichi still wasn’t distracted enough to slow down his stretching, but his other hand tightened its grip on his cheek.

Kuroo pulled back from Daichi’s lips, gasping for breath. Daichi leaned back to relish the break as well although his fingers didn’t stop. He smirked as Kuroo’s body shuddered whenever he grazed a nerve, but Kuroo was too far gone to even mind. 

Unfortunately, his legs were starting to shake, and his self-control was waning. It felt like he’d been waiting an eternity for Daichi to get him stretched out and he was certain he didn’t need anymore. But he knew Daichi was just as stubborn as he was caring, so he needed to do something drastic.

Kuroo reached his hand out to the cushion next to them, feeling around until his fingers grazed the bottle of lube. He popped it open and squeezed some out on his hands, grinning as Daichi watched him in confusion. Rubbing his palms together, he made a show of warming the lube between his hands before lowering them right onto Daichi’s cock.

Daichi’s breath hitched and he closed his eyes as Kuroo ran his hands down it slowly, taking his time slicking it up. He gazed down at him, admiring the look of it between his fingers and he couldn’t wait to take it into his mouth. He wanted it in his ass more, so he pushed that desire back to use for a later time. Maybe later that night if he was lucky.

He rested one hand against the back of the sofa beside Daichi’s head and let his other hand take care of the work. Pumping his hand up and down, he relished Daichi’s deep moans and the way his head lolled to the side. A sheen of sweat glistened across his heaving chest and Kuroo craved to run his tongue over it, but he threw all of his focus on pleasuring Daichi until he couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Kuroo… s-slow down.” Daichi’s voice was deliciously breathy, and his eyes were black as coal underneath his partially closed eyelids. 

Kuroo smirked as he did slow his hand, taking his time as he ran his thumb over the head. Daichi squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw, trying to maintain control.

“If you don’t stop teasing me, you’re gonna get it.”

“Get what, your cock? Because, baby, I am _dying_ for it.”

Daichi’s eyes fluttered open and he focused on Kuroo’s face. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

“Oh yeah. More than ready.”

Kuroo hissed as Daichi’s fingers slipped out, but he knew he didn't have to wait long before he was filled again. Daichi moved them closer to the edge of the sofa, bracing his feet on the floor. As he ripped open a condom and slid it on, Kuroo was practically vibrating with anticipation. 

To hurry things along, he snatched up the lube himself and squirted some on his hand. He smirked as he warmed it up and slid his hands over Daichi’s sheathed cock, enjoying the pleasurable torture written on his face. Once he was properly lubed up, Daichi pressed one hand on Kuroo’s lower back and reached between them with the other, shooing Kuroo’s hand away to grab his cock himself. Kuroo’s heart was pounding as he situated himself over it, closing his eyes as he felt the pressure against his entrance. 

“Oh my God,” he groaned as Daichi guided him down. It was a tight fit, Daichi’s cock stretching him further as he pushed inside. That didn’t stop it from feeling incredible. Half the thrill came from the pleasurable heat filling him up. The other was the knowledge that it was _Daichi_ who was inside of him. 

As Kuroo finally settled on Daichi’s lap, his eyes fluttered open. Daichi’s eyes were still closed, breathing deep as he waited for Kuroo to adjust. For a moment, Kuroo drank in the sight of him. He ran his fingers through his sweaty hair and cupped his face as he started dropping kisses all over it. Daichi relaxed finally and gazed up at him, licking his lips. 

“Are you okay?”

“I am _so_ good.”

Daichi laughed softly and brushed their lips together. “Can I move?”

“Wait, let me just— oh _yeah_.” As Kuroo wrapped his legs around Daichi’s back, it pushed him even deeper inside. He hummed, relishing the feeling and nuzzled against Daichi’s face. Strong hands rubbed across his back, sending shivers in their wake. Daichi’s forehead dropped to Kuroo’s shoulder and he finally began to move. 

It was a slow rocking at first, the shallow thrusts keeping in time with Daichi’s warm breaths puffing against his skin. Kuroo held on tight to his shoulders and mouthed at Daichi’s ear, chuckling as he released a deep groan. Daichi’s fingers dragged back down his back and settled on his ass, squeezing in time with his thrusts.

As their bodies moved together, Kuroo’s cock rubbed against the ridges of Daichi’s stomach. It felt so good, he made the mistake of glancing down between them and watching it bump and spread precum across his abs. The sight was so hot that Kuroo’s body clenched and Daichi hissed against his shoulder.

“Whoa… you alright?”

“Sorry, uh, you’re just really hot, Daichi-san.”

Daichi huffed out a laugh and lifted his gaze to him. “Right back at you. Come here,” he whispered, his lips beckoning him for a kiss and Kuroo was never one to resist.

As their lips joined together, their hold on each other tightened. Daichi breathed deep as he rocked Kuroo harder on his lap. It made their kisses a bit sloppy, the motion pulling them away but then they’d come back even harder with a rise of passion. 

Daichi’s cock no longer felt intrusive as it rubbed him inside. It felt as if it was meant to be there, creating beautiful friction that sent ripples of pleasure to spread throughout his body. He was so thankful he took a chance to be with Daichi in that way. His trust was being rewarded in ways he hadn’t even imagined.

Soon Daichi could no longer keep their lips together and attacked his neck instead. Kuroo tipped his head back and groaned as Daichi’s lips and teeth moved over every curve of sensitive skin. He gripped his fingers in his hair and pushed his head even closer, encouraging him not to stop.

But then something seemed to snap in Daichi as if it wasn’t enough. He gripped Kuroo so tightly that he pressed their bodies flat against each other. His thrusts came fast and hard and it was all Kuroo could do to hold on. Their sweaty bodies rubbed against each other with his cock sandwiched between them. The friction was just enough to send Kuroo over the edge and his whole body clenched around Daichi as he cried out.

He buried his face into Daichi’s hair, breathing it in as he worked through his orgasm. Beneath him, Daichi’s body shuddered. He was still thrusting into him, but it was shallower, and the rhythm disjointed. When they finally slowed to a stop, they fell back against the sofa in a sweaty heap.

Kuroo hummed happily, enjoying the satiated feeling and the heaviness of his body. His eyes were heavy, and he could have fallen asleep there. As Daichi moved a little, however, Kuroo grimaced at the sweat and cum covering their bodies.

“Ugh, we’re a little gross.”

Daichi chuckled and stroked his fingers through his hair. “Yup. I guess this calls for a shower.”

Kuroo gasped and lifted off Daichi enough to gaze down at him. “Both of us? At the same time?”

“Of course! I’m not about to let you go now,” he teased, tightening his grip on Kuroo’s waist to prove his point. But as they started moving around, Daichi winced. “Here, straighten up slowly.”

With shaky legs, Kuroo slipped off and surveyed the damage. Before he dripped anything on the floor, he snatched up his T-shirt and wiped off his chest and stomach. He waited as Daichi finished tying off the condom and then did the same for him, probably taking more time than necessary running the cloth over his stomach.

“You can touch me as much as you want in the shower, Kuroo.”

“Mmm, that sounds fantastic. After you.”

Daichi smirked and playfully shoved him back as he stood up. “You just want to stare at my bare ass on the way up, don’t you?”

“Yup. No use denying it now.”

“Well, too bad.” Daichi wrapped his arm around Kuroo’s waist and pulled him into his side. “I want to go together instead.”

Kuroo hummed, his cheeks hurting from smiling so wide. He wrapped his arms around Daichi’s shoulders and leaned down, kissing him gently. 

“Alright… Together.”

—

“Are you sure you don’t want help?” his mother called from the car. 

Kei shook his head even as he scrambled to keep hold of all his bags. “No, I’m fine. Thanks, Mom!”

“I promise it won’t be so long before we get to do this again, Kei. Love you!”

“Love you, too,” Kei mumbled, just loud enough to hear. 

He turned around and shuffled like a penguin up to the front door. The trip with his mom to the museum was extraordinary, a once in a lifetime experience. By the end of it though, he was ready to be home with his dad and Kuroo.

_I wonder what happened while I was gone._

Truthfully, he was hoping that they’d made some progress. Anyone could see how crazy they were about each other and the subtle flirtation was driving Kei bonkers. Of course, he wasn’t looking forward to seeing them blatantly flirting in front of him, but it was better than seeing his father lonely or broken-hearted. Anything was better than that. 

With a deep breath, he opened the front door and stepped inside. He dropped all his luggage and the gifts from his mom on the floor. Taking a deep breath, he was about to announce his arrival when he heard his father laugh from the kitchen.

Kei’s mouth fell open. It wasn’t as if he’d never heard him laugh before, but never that hard. There was a carefree quality to his voice, and it made Kei ecstatic to hear it. Not that he would admit that to anyone. 

Carefully, he closed the door behind him and crept down the hall to the kitchen. He peered around the doorway to see his father cooking in a T-shirt and pajama pants. That was a normal occurrence, especially for a Sunday morning. What wasn’t normal was how Kuroo was pressed up against him with his chin settled on the top of Daichi’s head. His hands kept sneaking under his father’s shirt and would promptly be slapped away. Regardless of the teasing and subsequent punishment, they both had serene smiles on their faces.

“If you don’t cut it out, I’m going to park you on the other side of the counter.”

“And be deprived of my company?”

“I’ll still be able to see you and you won’t be annoying me.”

“It’s almost tempting to accept that challenge.”

“I could send you out of the room completely.”

“Nooo, I’ll be good. I promise.” 

Kuroo wrapped his arms tight around Daichi’s waist and kissed him from his temple all the way down to his neck. Kei cringed to see so much disgusting affection, but it was sweet seeing his father so loved. A part of him wondered if he had been holding him back all these years from finding someone special. Seeing him smiling and leaning into Kuroo’s hold eased all of Kei’s regret. It made him think that instead of holding him back, he had been saving his father for the perfect person. 

“That’s enough. I’ll never get this breakfast finished by the time Kei gets home.”

“Too late,” Kei said, smirking as they both stiffened in shock.

Kuroo was off his father in a second, leaning on the island with a giant grin filled with guilt. “Heeeeeeey, Kei buddy! Did you have fun?”

Unable to help himself, Kei buckled over and laughed. “You’re such a dork, Kuroo-san. I can tell you two finally got together. Just don’t be too gross, okay?”

“O-Okay.”

“And confine all flirting and disgusting actions to my dad’s room. It’s further away from mine than yours, Kuroo. In fact, we should look into soundproofing, otherwise, I’ll start looking into boarding schools.”

Daichi laughed and stacked some pancakes on a plate. “Sit down, Kei.”

Kei shared a smile with his father and obeyed, sitting on a stool at the island. As Daichi set the plate in front of him, he cupped his head and dropped a gentle kiss on it.

“I’m glad you’re home. I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

“What about me?!” Kuroo chirped, landing clumsily on the stool next to him.

Kei twisted his lips stubbornly, but he _was_ feeling a bit more charitable than usual. “Yeah, you too… What are you doing? Don’t cry!”

Kuroo’s eyes were glimmering with tears and he was doing a terrible job at hiding them. “I can’t help it, I’m not used to you being so honest!” 

Kei groaned and focused instead on his plate where his father had given him way too much food. As he shoveled some into his mouth, he glanced up at his father who was making two more plates, his back shaking with quiet laughter. Kuroo, on the other hand, was still sniffling and trying to calm down.

“So, are you going to tell us all about it?” Kuroo asked once his emotions were contained. 

“I don’t know. It would probably be boring for you guys.”

“No way, that museum is amazing from what I heard. Come on!”

Kei tried to subdue his smile as Kuroo nudged him with his elbow. He bit his lip as he glanced between him and his father, quivering with excitement. 

“Okay, it was _amazing_.” 

He told them about the entire weekend and all the different exhibits they had. Daichi settled at the counter with them, a plate of pancakes for both him and Kuroo as well, and they listened with rapt attention as he relayed every detail. They laughed as he hopped off his stool and ran back into the foyer to grab the model kits his mom had bought for him to show off.

“And he claims he doesn’t run,” Kuroo snickered behind him. “Maybe we should tell his gym teacher to tie a dinosaur on the end of a stick and strap it to his back.”

Kei rolled his eyes and ignored him. But as his father laughed hard at his quip, Kei smiled. It was obvious that Kuroo was there to stay as a part of their family. It was troublesome, but he accepted it. If he was being honest with himself, he wouldn’t have it any other way.


End file.
